Doctors talked about the risks and diagnosis of cystitis

Urinary tract infections remain one of the most common diseases affecting people of different ages and genders. The most common form is acute cystitis, which is mainly diagnosed in women and is recorded with a frequency of up to 0.7 episodes per woman per year. Up to 36 million cases of bacterial cystitis are detected annually in Russia. This is stated in a publication in the Russian Medical Journal. Medical Review", which Izvestia reviewed on August 23.

The authors of the study explain that the term "cystitis" is used to describe the inflammatory process in the bladder wall, most often localized in the mucous membrane. In this case, the inflammation can be both infectious and non-infectious in nature.

According to doctors, relapses of the disease are common. Within six months after the first episode, re—inflammation is recorded in 27% of women, and within a year - in half of the patients. In 75% of cases, the disease worsens more than four times a year, which significantly reduces the quality of life.

"This often leads to an unusual dialogue at the reception, when the patient answers the doctor's question "What's bothering you?": "I have cystitis...", — experts note.

They emphasize that patients often make the diagnosis on their own, which contributes to self-medication and uncontrolled use of antibiotics.

According to the publication, doctors often also neglect detailed clinical and laboratory diagnostics, mistaking other diseases for cystitis. This leads to treatment errors and an increase in the number of patients with chronic forms.

The clinical picture of acute cystitis includes frequent and painful urination in small portions, imperative urges and pain over the pubis, as well as the appearance of blood in the last portion of urine. At the same time, the temperature is above + 38 degrees, lower back pain or marked discharge are uncharacteristic for this form of the disease.

For an objective assessment of the condition, the Acute cystitis Symptoms Questionnaire (ACSS) is used, which includes 18 questions and is highly sensitive and specific. A urination diary is also used to record the frequency and volume of urine output.

Laboratory diagnostics is based on test strips for detecting nitrites and leukocyte esterase. In case of complicated and recurrent forms, a general urinalysis is additionally performed. The federal clinical guidelines of the Russian Ministry of Health emphasize that in uncomplicated cases in women under 40 years of age, ultrasound examination of the bladder and cystoscopy are not recommended if there are no risk factors.

Clinical observations show that similar symptoms can accompany viral infections. In such cases, there are no laboratory signs of bacterial inflammation, which requires a special approach to diagnosis. Doctors associate viral forms of cystitis with a systemic inflammatory response of the body.

Special attention is paid to the prevention of recurrent infections. The researchers note that the excessive use of antibiotics increases the risk of dysbiosis and bacterial resistance. In recent years, attention has been paid to non-antibacterial methods of therapy and prevention, including the use of biologically active additives based on cranberries and D-mannose, which demonstrate effectiveness in reducing the frequency of exacerbations.

Surgeon Alexander Umnov spoke on August 15 about the dangerous ways of self-medication for high blood pressure. According to him, people often start taking aspirin for a long time on the advice of friends, not considering that it is contraindicated in cases of gastric ulcer and kidney diseases. The doctor noted that the selection of safe and effective therapy in difficult cases can take two to three months.

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