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When learning about cUTIs, you might come across words and terms you don\u2019t know. Here is a list of some of the more common ones you might encounter:<\/p>\n
Antibiotic:<\/strong> Medication that kills bacteria to stop them from growing; used to treat bacterial infections<\/p>\n Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> When germs such as bacteria or fungi change (mutate), they may resist drugs that used to kill them or keep them from multiplying. This is called AMR. <\/p>\n Bacteria:<\/strong> Very small (single-cell) organisms, invisible to the naked eye<\/p>\n Bladder:<\/strong> The hollow, spherical organ that holds urine until you pee<\/p>\n Bloodstream infection:<\/strong> Infection in the blood<\/p>\n Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI):<\/strong> A UTI related to having or using a urinary catheter is called a CAUTI<\/p>\n Complicated urinary tract infection (cUTI):<\/strong> A UTI with symptoms that suggest that it has spread beyond the bladder, including fever and pyelonephritis (kidney infection) <\/p>\n Cystitis:<\/strong> Inflammation of the bladder, often caused by a bladder infection<\/p>\n Dysuria:<\/strong> Discomfort, pain or burning when peeing<\/p>\n Flank pain:<\/strong> Pain in the side of the body between your ribs and hip<\/p>\n Hematuria:<\/strong> Red blood cells (blood) in your urine<\/p>\n Lower urinary tract:<\/strong> The part of the urinary tract that includes your bladder and urethra (the tube that carries urine out of your body)<\/p>\n Pyelonephritis:<\/strong> A kidney infection<\/p>\n Recurrent UTI:<\/strong> UTIs that happen two or more times within six months or three times in a year. Recurrent UTIs aren\u2019t necessarily cUTIs. Also called chronic UTIs.<\/p>\n Sepsis<\/a>:<\/strong> The body\u2019s extreme reaction to an infection; a life-threatening emergency<\/p>\n Systemic symptoms:<\/strong> These are symptoms that affect more than one part of your body beyond your bladder. These include fever, chills, low blood pressure or feeling very unwell.<\/p>\n Upper urinary tract:<\/strong> This part of the urinary tract includes your kidneys and the ureters (tubes that bring urine from your kidney to the bladder)<\/p>\n Urinalysis:<\/strong> A test that examines urine for different substances, including blood and the presence of bacteria. It can\u2019t tell what type of bacteria is present, however.<\/p>\n Urinary catheter:<\/strong> A thin, flexible rubber or plastic tube inserted through your urethra to the bladder that allows urine to drain<\/p>\n Urinary frequency:<\/strong> Needing to pee more often than usual (more than seven times in a 24-hour period)<\/p>\n