Common Genitourinary Problems  in Family Practice
                            Sarita Verma  & John Geddes 
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OBJECTIVES
 Discuss the prevalence of Genitourinary problems in family practice
 Define the common genitourinary symptoms and signs and discuss their etiology
 Review the approach to the diagnosis and management of UTIs and STDs in women
 Review the approach to the diagnosis and management of urethritis, epididymitis and
    prostatitis in men
 

LECTURE OVERVIEW
 Prevalence and Epidemiology: SV
 Symptoms and Signs : JG
 UTI’s in women: SV
 Dysuria in men (Prostate/urethritis): JG
 Kids and the elderly : SV
 Cases on the world wide web : JG
 Questions
 

PREVALENCE OF GU PROBLEMS IN FAMILY PRACTICE
 Total visits  31,000
 Female 20,000  :  Male 12,000
 Cystitis  500
 Vaginitis “ unclassified”  243
 Monilial Vaginitis  204
 Frequency NYD 114
 Dysuria NYD 89
 Cervicitis 78
 Prostatitis 31

Overall Relevance in Family Practice  -  Most Common Reasons for Visits :
 1. Hypertension
 2. URI, Common Cold
 3. Diabetes Mellitus
 4. Depression
 5. Well Baby Care
 6. Skin Disorders
 7. Prenatal Care
 23 . UTI , Cystitis
 24. Pneumonia

Epidemiology: UTI s alone
 7 million visits to physician’s offices/yr
 1 million hospital visits/yr
 80 percent : e. coli
 5 - 15 percent: staph. saprophytricus
 klebsiella, proteus mirabilis and others
 risk factors: sexual intercourse, use of diaphragm or spermicide, delayed postcoital micturition, recent UTI

Asymptomatic Bacteriuria :
Two urine cultures with > 10 5 CFU/ml
No symptoms of UTI

Uncomplicated UTI :
Positive Urine Culture
Symptoms include dysuria, frequency,  urgency, suprapubic discomfort
No structural or functional GU  abnormality predisposing to UTI

Complicated UTI :
Positive Urine Culture
Fever, chills flank pain,  abdominal pain
GU abnormality

Symptoms and Signs:
Consider:
 Gender
 Age
 Concomitant Illness
 GU Manipulation
 Past History

Symptoms
 Dysuria, frequency, nocturia, polyuria,  back ache, flank pain, incontinence, urgency, obstruction, post void dribbling, dyspareunia
 Vaginal Discharge
 Urethral Discharge
 Itching, skin changes ( lumps and bumps)
 Sexual Dysfunction

Signs
 Hematuria, Pyuria,  Proteinuria, Leukocytosis , Glucosuria
 Prostate Mass, Prostate Hypertrophy, Scrotal Mass
 Pelvic Pain, Cervicitis,Vaginal Discharge, Urethral Discharge
 Fever, Flank tenderness
 Skin lesions, erythema
 Odour
 

Diagnostic Tests : Swabs
 Elisa, DFA, urine test: Chlamydia
 pH : Bacterial Vaginosis, Yeast
 Microscopy in Office: Wet Preps, KOH Whiff test, clue cells
 
 

Diagnostic Tests : Urine
 Urinalysis : presence or absence of
            PYURIA : UTI , URETHRITIS
            HEMATURIA: UTI,  PYELONEPHRITIS
            PROTEINURIA : PYELONEPHRITIS
            WBC CASTS : PYELONEPHRITIS
            BACTERIA :  UTI
            GLUCOSE : DIABETES
 Leukocyte Esterase Tests “ Dipstick”
 Urine Culture : Gold Standard
 
Diagnostic Tests : Swabs
 Gram Stain and Culture:
 Neisseria Gonorrhea - Gram Negative Intracellular Diplococci
 Gardnerella Vaginalis - Gram Negative Rods on Surface of Epithelial cells ( Clue cells)
 Trichomonas Vaginalis - Flagellated Parasites
 Candida Albicans -  Yeast Mycelia and Spores

Dysuria in Women
 History and Physical
 Investigations: differentiate Cystitis, Urethritis or Vaginitis
 Acute UTIs : Rx
 Vaginitis/Vaginosis

Acute UTIs
 Acute dysuria in females is either acute cystitis; acute urethritis due to chlamydia; gonorrhea or HSV; vaginitis due to candida or vaginosis
 Can be presumptively differentiated by history/ physical exam and urinalysis
 

Uncomplicated Cystitis
 many studies looked at Rx options
 3 day regimens = 7 day regimens
 can use single dose but more likely to recur or fail Rx
 longer regimens for pregnancy, elderly, recurrent UTIs
Rx Options

Vaginitis/ Vaginosis
 Bacterial Vaginosis, Candidiasis, Trichomoniasis,  Gardenerella
 50  % are asymptomatic
 change in vaginal flora: anitbiotics, BCP
 odour, pH, quality of vaginal discharge, microscopy, culture
 Yeast : antifungals
 BV: Metronidazole

Dysuria and Frequency in Males
 Describe the dysuria and quantitate the frequency
 Other Symptoms ?
 Other History ?
 Investigations ?
 Localization of problem

Prostatitis
 Acute
 Chronic
 Non Bacterial
 Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH)
 Prostatodynia

*Antibiotics : 4 weeks for acute infection
 

Prostate assessment:
Urinalysis and culture - segmental
Rectal examination
Ultrasound
Biopsy
 

Prostatitis - Management
Manage the symptoms
  Mechanical intervention
 catheter, stent, surgery
 Medical management
 Alpha blockers
 Finasteride
 Antibiotics
? No treatment

Manage the infection
Antibiotic therapy, if indicated, should continue for 4 weeks.

Choices include:
  TMX (Bactrim/Septra)
  quinolones
  doxycycline
 

Rule out Cancer
Rectal examination
PSA
Ultrasound
Biopsy
( DO THESE TESTS AS INDICATED ONLY)
 

Urethritis
 Urethral tenderness, irritation, dysuria, discharge, meatal redness
 Pus cells on Gram stain
 Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, other bacteria
 Culture
 Antibiotics, Education
 Rx  Partner
 Follow up
 

Testing for Urethritis
 Gonorrhea - Swabs
 Gram Stain - Gram neg intracellular diplococci
 Culture
 Chlamydia - Swabs
 Culture
 Elisa / DFA
 Ligase Chain Reaction
 Urine -  Ligase Chain Reaction

Chlamydia
 Chlamydia is the most common STD in North America
 Canadian incidence 216 per 100,000 people per year
 3-5 x more prevalent than gonorrhea
 women 15-25: rate 1.6-2%
 5-7% in student health clinics
 14% in family planning clinics
 1/3-1/2 women develop PID
 

Gonorrhea
 Swab C & S for Gonorrhea
 Teenage  women and men in 20s at highest risk
 Treat all as though resistant to penicillin
 Cefixime 400 mg single dose or Ceftriaxone IM 125 mg single dose
 Followed by seven days of doxycycline or single dose Azithromycin
 

Children and the Elderly
 Atypical Presentations
 Children at Risk for Vesicourethral Reflux
 Investigate all Boys with UTIs
 STDs: Rule out Abuse
 Commonest cause of bacteremia in the elderly
 Dont Rx Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in the Elderly

Scrotal Masses
 Location, Tenderness, Size, Consistency, Transillumination
 Mechanical Causes: Hernia, Hydrocele,  Varicocele, Spermatocele, Torsion
 Infections: Epididymitis, Orchitis
 Tumours

What about  other STDs ?
 Chlamydia is the most common STD in North America
 Canadian incidence 216 per 100,000 people per year
 3-5 x more prevalent than gonorrhea
 women 15-25: rate 1.6-2%
 5-7% in student health clinics
 14% in family planning clinics
 1/3-1/2 women develop PID

Genital Herpes
 HSV Type 2
 But can have Type 1 oral genital   infection
 Clinical diagnosis plus ELISA swab/ Western Blot test
 Acyclovir, Valacyclovir, Famcyclovir
 Barrier protection
 Watch for lesions at Labour & Delivery

Genital Warts
 HPV Type 6, 11, 16 ,18 etc
 10 - 30 % adult population is infected but majority are subclinical
 Podophyllin, cryotherapy, laser surgery, interferon etc
 Barrier protection
 

DON’T FORGET
HEPATITIS
HIV
SYPHILIS
 

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