Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) in Senior Men

On 28 Mar, 2026, Seniors Today hosted their weekly Health Live Webinar with Dr Soumyan Dey, who spoke on and answered questions about Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) in Seniors- Symptoms and Care. 

Dr Soumya Dey is a Senior Urologist with over 20 years of experience in the field; managing a wide spectrum of urological disorders. He has completed his MCH in Urology from the Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, Mumbai. He is currently serving as an Assistant Professor at the institute. He is the Director of Urology at Fortis Hospital, Navi Mumbai. He specialises in Endourology and minimally invasive urological procedures. He is known for his evidence based practice, surgical precision and compassionate approach to patient care. 

You are diagnosed with Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) when you have any of the following chief complaints:

1. Burning micturition
2. Increased frequency of passing urine

These symptoms can also be present in case of 

• Renal/ ureteric stones
• Constipation 

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is diagnosed when the symptoms are present and the patient is asked to do a urine analysis and the urine analysis reveals numerous pus cells with normal epithelial cells. The urine culture can show a higher count of bacterial colonies. 

Unless the urine analysis shows a large number of pus cells with the culture showing a culture growth, it is not necessarily UTI. The same symptoms can also be present due to other illnesses and we make a confirmatory diagnosis based on the investigations. 

The kidneys drain into the bladder via the ureter. 

The male below the bladder, also has a prostate followed by a long urethra. In females, there is no prostate and a very short urethra after the bladder. 

Any infection of the bladder and the urethra below comes under the lower urinary tract. And everything above, is known as the upper urinary tract. 

The lower urinary tract/ bladder infections are more common and will thus be further discussed. 

Upper urinary tract infections are more serious such as pyelonephritis. 

UTI in common in senior citizens due to the following reasons:

1. Incomplete bladder emptying 
2. Prostate enlargement (in men)
3. Post menopausal changes (in women)
4. Use of catheters. In these cases, the urinary tract gets colonised, if not infected
5. Reduced immunity 

Increasing age, with decreasing immunity along with comorbidities such as diabetes, post menopausal changes/ prostate enlargement can cause a higher risk of developing a urinary tract infection in women. 

Symptoms which should not be ignored:

1. Burning urination 
2. Frequent urination 
3. Fever with chills 
4. Blood in urine 
5. Confusion or sudden weakness 
6. Pain in lower abdomen 
7. Recurrent infections 

Risk factors for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI):

1. Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus 
2. Poor hydration. Adequate hydration is an important preventive step to avoid UTI. If you drink enough water to achieve pale/ clear urine, you can avoid Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). 
3. Urinary obstruction due to prostate enlargement, urethral stenosis 
4. Increase catheter use 
5. Poor hygiene 

It can be more than just a simple Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) when there are the following symptoms in addition to the above mentioned ones:

1. Blood in urine 
2. Recurrent urine 
3. Loss of weight poor response to treatment 

This can be due to prostate issues, tumours, stones, etc. 

Catheter care is very important to avoid Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). This can be done by:

1. Keeping the catheter clean 
2. Do not use a catheter unless necessary 
3. Ensure proper drainage of catheter 
4. Repeated change in the catheter 

This can be done by ensuring the following:

1. Collection bag should always be below the level of the body 
2. Check the tube for kinking. There should be no kinks in the tube 
3. Empty the collection when it is half/ 1/3rd full 
4. Maintain a closed drainage system 
5. Avoid overfilling of the balloon (8cc is enough)

Preventive measure that can be taken:

1. Keep your blood sugar levels under control 
2. Keep yourself well hydrated 
3. Avoid taking antibiotics unnecessarily, unless there is documented growth in your urine culture 

The treatment basics for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) are:

1. Always consult your doctor if you have any of the above mentioned symptoms 
2. Before starting any antibiotics, get your urine culture and urine routine investigation done. Take antibiotics only when needed, which is when there is presence of pus cells in the urine. 
3. In a catheterised patient, the indications for antibiotics are different ie- fever, blood in urine, pain in lower abdomen 
4. Once you have started antibiotics, continue the antibiotics until your culture report comes negative for growth

Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is common in women. For this the patient can be put on urinary prophylaxis for which the patient is put on urinary antiseptics. These are less than antibiotics- Nitrofurantoin is a common antiseptic- this can be taken for 3 days without consulting a doctor either. At the end of the 3 days, if your symptoms still persist, visit your physician.