Urethritis

Urethritis
Urethritis
Classification and external resources
ICD-10 N34
ICD-9 597 099.4
DiseasesDB 27902
eMedicine med/2342
MeSH D014526

Urethritis is inflammation of the urethra. The most common symptom is painful or difficult urination.

Contents

Causes

The disease is classified as either gonococcal urethritis, caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, or non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU), most commonly caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. NGU, sometimes called non-specific urethritis (NSU), has both infectious and non-infectious causes.

Other causes include:

Symptoms

In men, purulent discharge usually indicates a urethritis of gonococcal nature, while clear discharge indicates urethritis of non-gonococcal nature.[citation needed] Urethritis is difficult to diagnose in women because discharge may not be present, however, the symptoms of dysuria and frequency may be present.

Diagnosis

With male patients, the physician examines the penis and testicles for soreness or any swelling. The urethra is visually examined by spreading the urinary meatus apart with two gloved fingers, and examining the opening for redness, discharge and other abnormalities. Next, a cotton swab is inserted 1–4 cm into the urethra and rotated once. To prevent contamination, no lubricant is applied to the swab, which can result in pain or discomfort. The swab is then smeared onto a glass slide and examined under a microscope. A commonly used cut-off for the diagnosis of urethritis is 5 or more granulocytes per HPF, but this definition has recently been called into doubt.[1] The physician sometimes performs a digital rectal examination to inspect the prostate gland for swelling or infection.

Treatment

A variety of drugs may be prescribed based on the cause of the patient's urethritis. Some examples of medications based on causes include ceftriaxone, clotrimazole, fluconazole, metronidazole, nitrofurantoin, nystatin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.

Proper perineal hygiene should be stressed. This includes avoiding use of vaginal deodorant sprays and proper wiping after urination and bowel movements. Intercourse should be avoided until symptoms subside.

Prevention

Risk of some causes of urethritis can be lessened by avoiding unprotected sexual activity, chemicals that could irritate the urethra; this could include detergents or lotions as well as spermicides or contraceptives, and irritation caused by manual manipulation of the urethra.

See also

References

  1. ^ Bradshaw CS, Tabrizi SN, Read TR, et al (2006). "Etiologies of nongonococcal urethritis: bacteria, viruses, and the association with orogenital exposure". J Infect Dis 193 (3): 336–45. doi:10.1086/499434. PMID 16388480. 

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Urethritis — U re*thri tis, n. [NL. See {Urethra}, and { itis}.] (Med.) Inflammation of the urethra. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Urethrītis — (griech.), Harnröhrenentzündung, s. Harnröhre …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • urethritis — 1823, from URETHRA (Cf. urethra) + ITIS (Cf. itis) …   Etymology dictionary

  • urethritis — [yoor΄ə thrīt′is] n. [ModL: see URETHRA & ITIS] inflammation of the urethra …   English World dictionary

  • Urethritis — Klassifikation nach ICD 10 N34 Urethritis und urethrales Syndrom …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • urethritis — urethritic /yoor euh thrit ik/, adj. /yoor euh thruy tis/, n. Pathol. inflammation of the urethra. [1815 25; < NL; see URETHR , ITIS] * * * ▪ pathology       infection and inflammation of the urethra, the channel for passage of urine from the… …   Universalium

  • Urethritis — Inflammation of the urethra. (The urethra is the transport tube leading from the bladder to discharge urine outside the body.)Urethritis can be due to several causes, including sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia, or irritation.… …   Medical dictionary

  • urethritis — n. inflammation of the urethra. This may be due to gonorrhoea (specific urethritis), another sexually transmitted infection, often infection with Chlamydia trachomatis (nongonococcal urethritis, NGU; or nonspecific urethritis, NSU), or to the… …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • urethritis — noun inflammation of the urethra; results in painful urination • Hypernyms: ↑urinary tract infection • Hyponyms: ↑nongonococcal urethritis, ↑NGU, ↑nonspecific urethritis, ↑NSU …   Useful english dictionary

  • Urethritis — Harnröhrenentzündung; Entzündung der Harnröhre * * * Ure|thri|tis auch: Ureth|ri|tis 〈f.; , thri|ti|den; Med.〉 Harnröhrenentzündung [→ Ureter] * * * Urethritis   [zu Urethra] die …   Universal-Lexikon

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