The Importance of Diagnostics in the Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Current diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in the UK initially relies on self-reported patient symptoms with no point-of-care test robust enough to accurately identify the causative pathogen and inform on antibiotic susceptibility. In serious UTI cases, standard urine culture is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosis and involves direct isolation, culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing of pathogens. These methods are not suitable in initial UTI diagnosis and treatment because of the time taken to conduct these analyses (≥3 days). Inaccurate and slow diagnostics can lead to unnecessary or incorrect antibiotic prescribing, which can lead to increased antimicrobial resistance and poorer patient outcomes. Novel point-of-care testing devices are urgently needed to improve the diagnostics of UTIs. In this article, we highlight novel point-of-care tests which are in development that can detect UTI-causing pathogens rapidly and accurately. These devices require additional studies to prove their clinical utilities. Adoption of these technologies can empower general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacists in prescribing decisions and improve antimicrobial stewardship.