Asymptomatic bacteriuria

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Male urinary system

Vesicoureteral reflux

Asymptomatic bacteriuria is a significant number of bacteria in the urine that occurs without any of the usual symptoms (burning during urination or increased frequency of urination). Asympomatic bacteruria may not need treatment, which makes it different from a bacterial urinary tract infection.

Asymptomatic bacteriuria occurs in up to 6% of healthy individuals. It affects 18% of people with diabetes (mostly women), and 20% of elderly individuals (more often women than men). The reasons for the lack of symptoms are not well understood.

Most patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria do not need treatment because the bacteria isn't causing any harm. However, certain groups are at a higher risk for kidney infections if they develop asymptomatic bacteriuria. Those at risk include:

• People with diabetes
• Elderly people
• Pregnant women -- if asymptomatic bacteriuria is left untreated, up to 40% will develop a kidney infection.
• Kidney transplant patients
• Young children with vesicoureteral reflux
• Patients with infected kidney stones

Review Date: 05/26/2006
Reviewed By: Monica Gandhi MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.