What is Staphylococcus saprophyticus Infection?
Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a type of bacteria that often causes simple urinary tract infections (UTIs), especially in young, sexually active women. On some occasions, it may also lead to other complications such as acute pyelonephritis (a type of kidney infection), urethritis (inflammation of the urethra), epididymitis (inflammation of the tube at the back of the testicle), and prostatitis (swelling and inflammation of the prostate gland).
An uncomplicated UTI is usually characterized by painful urination and the need to urinate more frequently. It mostly affects healthy, non-pregnant women and is actually the most common bacterial infection in women. People with a compromised immune system, elderly people, men, pregnant women, and those with conditions like diabetes and kidney disease, or those with a catheter fitted, may get a more complicated infection.
S. saprophyticus can be distinguished from other similar bacteria by its resistance to a drug called Novobiocin. As with other bacteria that cause UTIs, S. saprophyticus uses an enzyme called urease to produce ammonia. But, unlike many of these, it can’t convert nitrate into other substances.
S. saprophyticus is normally found in various parts of the body including the area around the anus, the rectum, urethra, cervix, and gut. Interestingly, it’s also a common bacterium found in the guts of pigs and cows, which suggests that transmission to humans could occur through consuming pork and beef.
What Causes Staphylococcus saprophyticus Infection?
S. saprophyticus is a type of bacteria which is often the reason behind urinary tract infections (UTIs), especially in women aged between 16 and 25. It is actually the second leading cause of such infections in the community, after another bacteria called E. coli. In fact, 42% of all infections in 16 to 25 years old women are caused by this bacteria. It’s also found that 40% of all sexually active young women naturally carry S. saprophyticus in their female urinary tract.
However, other groups are also more prone to S. saprophyticus infections. This includes hospital-acquired (nosocomial) UTIs patients, older people, pregnant women, and those with a urinary catheter (a tube inserted into the bladder to help urinate). In contrast, men usually have a lower chance of getting S. saprophyticus infections.
Risk factors that make UTIs more likely include having a history of recurring UTIs, being female, engaging in recent sexual activity, pregnancy, having a neurogenic bladder (a bladder issue caused by nerve damage), using a urinary catheter, and having benign prostatic hypertrophy (a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland).
S. saprophyticus is also frequently involved in what are known as polymicrobial UTIs, which means the infection is caused by multiple different bacteria. Such infections are more likely to happen in people with weakened immune systems, older individuals, diabetics, those using urinary catheters, HIV patients, and people with cancers. However, young, healthy, sexually active females are less likely to experience polymicrobial infections.
Risk Factors and Frequency for Staphylococcus saprophyticus Infection
In the United States, issues with urination are often a reason for people to seek medical help. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the top reasons people visit the emergency department. Nearly half of all women will have a UTI during their life. Furthermore, between 5% and 20% of patients who are not in the hospital will have an infection caused by S. saprophyticus. Even though treatments are largely successful, as many as 60% of patients might have a recurring UTI within a year.
Signs and Symptoms of Staphylococcus saprophyticus Infection
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) often cause symptoms like a burning sensation during urination, frequent urge to urinate, pelvic pain, and in some patients, back or side pain, nausea, and fever or chills could also exist, especially if the infection has spread to the kidneys (a condition called pyelonephritis).
A physical examination may sometimes show tenderness in the lower abdomen, and the doctor should take a urine sample for analysis. However, in many straightforward UTI cases, the physical exam doesn’t show any noticeable signs. In more complex cases or instances of pyelonephritis, patients might have fever, an unusually fast heartbeat, and tenderness in the areas of their back where the kidneys are located.
Typical UTI symptoms include:
- Burning sensation during urination
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Pelvic pain
- Back or side pain
- Nausea
- Fever or chills
Testing for Staphylococcus saprophyticus Infection
To confirm whether someone has S. saprophyticus, a type of bacteria, doctors often order a urine culture. A positive urine culture means there are more than 100,000 colony-forming units of bacteria per milliliter of urine. This test is usually accurate more than 90% of the time.
If you have symptoms of a urine infection (UTI, for short), a simpler and cheaper test called a urine dipstick test can be used. This test checks for certain substances in your urine, like leukocytes and nitrites, which can be signs of a UTI. However, if the dipstick test results are negative but your doctor still believes you might have a UTI, they will request a urine culture to be sure.
When giving a urine sample, it’s often best to use the ‘mid-stream catch’ method or use a straight catheter; this helps avoid the sample being contaminated with other substances.
In most cases, a UTI can be diagnosed without the need for any imaging tests, such as CT scans. But in cases where there might be more serious kidney problems like pyelonephritis – a type of kidney infection, CT scans are the best way to see if there are any complications such as swollen kidneys (hydronephrosis) or kidney abscesses.
Treatment Options for Staphylococcus saprophyticus Infection
If you have uncomfortable symptoms or complications from a urinary tract infection (UTI) or kidney infection (pyelonephritis), your doctor may prescribe at-home treatment with antibiotics. It’s crucial that the choice of antibiotic considers specific patterns of drug resistance in your local area.
Typically, if you have a simple UTI caused by the S. saprophyticus bacterium, the usual choice of antibiotic is nitrofurantoin. Alternatively, another combination of antibiotics known as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) may be given. These can be taken by mouth at home.
Besides antibiotics, your discomfort and sickness (nausea) may be eased with appropriate medications as well. Most UTIs will not harm the kidneys and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are generally the preferred painkillers. Doctors may also provide a drug called Pyridium to relieve associated painful urination, known as dysuria. For nausea, doctors often prescribe common anti-sickness medicines lik Ondansetron or promethazine. Generally, people start to feel better within 36 hours of starting antibiotic treatment alone.
However, hospital treatment may be necessary for patients with certain conditions. For example, those people who are unstable with their vital readings, have a kidney injury or an abscess, have a severe type of kidney infection called emphysematous pyelonephritis, have not responded to outpatient treatment, or are unable to manage severe sickness, vomiting or pain. Furthermore, hospital care may be needed if you can’t eat or drink normally, or cannot follow the medication plan on your own.
What else can Staphylococcus saprophyticus Infection be?
Other conditions that could be similar to S. saprophyticus UTI include:
- Non-S. saprophyticus UTI or bladder inflammation (cystitis)
- Urethra inflammation (urethritis)
- Kidney inflammation (pyelonephritis)
- Kidney stones (nephrolithiasis)
What to expect with Staphylococcus saprophyticus Infection
Most infections caused by S. saprophyticus, a type of bacteria, can be effectively treated with antibiotics. If not treated, these infections can worsen and lead to a condition called pyelonephritis, which is a severe type of kidney infection. Pyelonephritis that isn’t treated can lead to even more serious issues, such as renal insufficiency. Renal insufficiency is a medical term for kidney failure, meaning the kidneys aren’t working as well as they should.
