Periurethral bacterial flora in women. Prolonged intermittent colonization with Escherichia coli
C. M. Kunin, F. Polyak and E. Postel
To determine whether the periurethral flora of women with recurrent urinary
infections differ from that of women without infection, a prospective study
was conducted of matched premenopausal women. Daily or alternate-day urine
cultures in patients and control subjects were obtained for six months to
one year, as were daily records of sexual intercourse. Periurethral
colonization with the same organism preceded 29 of 31 and six of seven
episodes of significant bacteriuria in patients and control subjects,
respectively. Prolonged periods of intermittent colonization with the same
Escherichia coli serotype were observed in both patients and control
subjects. Proportion of days of colonization of E coli or other
Gram-negative bacteria was not significantly different between cases and
controls and was not influenced by rates of sexual intercourse. Spontaneous
cure occurred despite continued sexual intercourse.
