UTI
Medical abbreviation · Nephrology & Urology
| Stands for | Urinary tract infection |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
UTI stands for Urinary tract infection, a nephrology & urology abbreviation.
Bacterial infection anywhere in the urinary tract, most often the bladder (cystitis) and less often the kidney (pyelonephritis). Typical symptoms are burning on urination, frequency, urgency and lower abdominal pain; fever, flank pain or vomiting suggest kidney involvement. Escherichia coli causes the large majority of uncomplicated cases.
Example: Dysuria and frequency for 2 days, no fever, UA nitrite positive: uncomplicated UTI, nitrofurantoin 100 mg BID for 5 days.
Usage notes
Pronounced as letters; the plural is UTIs. Roughly half of women have at least one UTI in their lifetime because the female urethra is short. Guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America list nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and single-dose fosfomycin as first-line options for uncomplicated cystitis. Positive urine cultures without symptoms (asymptomatic bacteriuria) usually should not be treated, and confusion alone in an older adult is not a reliable sign of UTI. Catheter-associated infections are tracked separately as CAUTI.
Related abbreviations
More nephrology & urology abbreviations
- ADPKD – Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease
- AIN – Acute interstitial nephritis
- AKI – Acute kidney injury
- APD – Automated peritoneal dialysis
- ARF – Acute renal failure
- ASB – Asymptomatic bacteriuria
- ATN – Acute tubular necrosis
- AVF – Arteriovenous fistula
- AVG – Arteriovenous graft
- BOO – Bladder outlet obstruction
- BPH – Benign prostatic hyperplasia
- CAPD – Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis
See all 71 nephrology & urology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.