Urinary Infection and Symptoms of Dysuria in Women Aged 45–64 Years: Their Relevance to Similar Findings in the Elderly

A sample of women aged 45–64 from the list of a general practice were interviewed and bacteriuria assessed by the triphenyl tetrazolium test. The incidence of infection (2–4 per cent) and of symptoms of dysuria are compared to those of a sample of men and women aged 65 and over from the same practice. Reasons why the incidence of bacteriuria should escalate in women as they approach 65 are considered. Increasing incidence of neurogenic change is probably the most important single factor. This causes residual urine because of functional bladder outlet obstruction. Symptoms of nocturnal frequency were much less common in younger than aged women, and in a small proportion of cases were linked with bacteriuria in younger, but not older women. This confirms previous work suggesting that nocturnal frequency in elderly women is mainly a neurogenic symptom. Stress incontinence, found in 60 per cent of the younger women, was much more common than in older women. Difficulty in passing urine was also a more common symptom in younger women, and was associated with a history of trauma at parturition, or previous catheterization. The incidence of scalding and of precipitancy was the same in both groups and was not related to infection. These may be symptoms of an abacterial urethritis.