Urinary tract infection diagnosis and response to therapy in long-term care: A prospective observational study.

Background: The prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria among residents of long-term care (LTC) facilities is high, and is a source of inappropriate antibiotic prescription.

Objective: To establish symptoms and signs associated with a positive urine culture, and to determine whether antibiotic therapy is associated with functional improvement.

Methods: A total of 101 LTC patients were prospectively observed after submission of urine for culture.