Can Klebsiella Cause a Urinary Tract Infection?
An infection of Klebsiella bacteria remains responsible for a relatively small percentage of urinary tract infections after E. coli and Staphylococcus saprophyticus, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. E. coli causes most urinary tract infections, especially in younger women. Staphylococcus infections occur in 5 to 15 percent of urinary tract infections, while Klebsiella, Enterococci and Proteus mirabilis account for the rest of bacteria that cause urinary tract infections, especially in older women.
Klebsiella bacteria predominantly appear in patients with complicated urinary tract infections, which means certain risk factors and abnormalities may cause this medical problem, notes American Family Physician. Klebsiella infections occur most often in older women with diabetes, even though the overall incidence remains relatively low. Patients who have frequent catheterization of the urinary tract may also have an additional risk factor for this type of urinary tract infection. Complicated urinary tract infections caused by Klebsiella may foster an ascending infection, a resistance to antibiotics and a prolonged therapy regimen.
One case of Klebsiella pneumoniae infection in 2008 involved a 59-year-old patient experiencing abdominal pain due to gas formation in the bladder, reports PubMed Central. The patient's medical history included insulin-dependent diabetes and hypertension. The bacterial infection became severe as it worked up the urinary tract towards the kidneys. The patient recovered after three days of catheterization and intravenous antibiotics.
