Urologic Diseases in America Project: Trends in Resource Use for Urinary Tract Infections in Women

Purpose: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common clinical diagnoses in women. In this study we examined epidemiological, economic and health care use trends for UTI in women in the United States.

Materials And Methods: The analytical methods used to generate these results have been described previously.

Results: The lifetime risk for UTI in women is high (greater than 50%). Between 1988 and 1994 the overall lifetime prevalence of UTI was estimated to be 53,067/100,000 women. Prescribing patterns demonstrated an increase in the trend toward using fluoroquinolones as first line therapy for UTI, which was associated with increased costs. Composite data revealed that overall expenditures for the treatment of UTIs in women in the United States, excluding spending on outpatient prescriptions, were approximately 2.47 billion dollars in 2000. Diagnosis and treatment of UTI in women is performed in various clinical settings. Inpatient hospitalization for UTI care has generally decreased in younger women but increased in elderly women. There has been a sharp increase in emergency room use by younger women, which may reflect disparities in access to health insurance or primary care providers. Most outpatient care of women with UTIs is performed in physician offices.

Conclusions: Analysis of health care use and economic data on UTIs in women revealed various interesting trends. These findings will help shape understanding of UTI treatment in relation to other urological disorders in women. The results raise various important future research questions.