Urinary Tract Infections

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The most common bacterial infections in women are urinary tract infections. In most cases urinary tract infections respond quite well to antibiotics. That is a good thing because fifty percent of women have one uti in their lifetime.

The most common bacteria cause is escherichia coli but staph and other bacteria can be a problem as well.

Symptoms of a uti include burning on urination, increased frequency of urination and not producing as much urine. Normally a urinalysis can be helpful with the diagnosis and this can be done in the doctor's office.

We have many antibiotics that work well but when antibiotics fail or when a person does not get treatment a problem called pyelonephritis can occur where the infection goes to the kidney.