Risk Factors
Risk factors for urinary tract infections include the following:
- Bladder outlet obstructions (e.g., bladder stones, benign prostatic hyperplasia [BPH, enlarged prostate])
- Conditions that cause incomplete bladder emptying (e.g., spinal cord injury)
- Congenital (present at birth) abnormalities of the urinary tract (e.g., vesicoureteral reflux [VUR])
- Suppressed immune system
- Being uncircumcised (in males)
Certain blood types enable bacteria to attach more easily to cells that line the urinary tract, increasing the risk for recurrent urinary tract infections.
Physician-developed and -monitored.
Original Date of Publication: 10 Jun 1998
Reviewed by: Daniel Khouri, M.D., Stanley J. Swierzewski, III, M.D.
Last Reviewed: 10 Apr 2008
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Risk Factors reprinted with permission from urologychannel.com
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