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Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.
Prof
Nick
Francis
nick.francis@soton.ac.uk
Prof
Nick
Francis
nick.francis@soton.ac.uk
Other diseases of urinary system
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The number of care home residents is increasing and urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common amongst this group. Accurate diagnosis of UTI is important because not treating an infection may lead to serious consequences including death. However,giving antibiotic treatment when there isn’t an infection causes side effects and antibiotic resistance,making future infections harder to treat.
In care home residents,UTIs can cause symptoms like pain passing urine,needing to pass urine more often,or a change in smell or colour of the urine. However,they can just cause vague symptoms like confusion,loss of appetite,or problems with balance. Sometimes it can be hard to know what is causing the problem – especially for residents with dementia,who might not be able to communicate as easily or provide a urine sample to be tested. Many residents also have bacteria in their urine even when they are well (called asymptomatic bacteriuria) which does not need treatment with antibiotics. Currently available urine tests aren’t very helpful in this population. All these challenges mean that it is difficult to diagnose UTI accurately in care home residents. Residents often get given antibiotics ‘just in case’. Care home residents receive more antibiotics than older people living in their own homes,causing more side effects and antibiotic resistance.
To address this problem our team is developing new ways to accurately diagnose UTI. Approaches we want to evaluate include new urine ‘biomarker’ tests and working out which symptoms or signs most accurately predict UTI. To do this we want to conduct a large study collecting data and urine samples from care home residents with UTI. However,before we can do the bigger study we need to answer questions about the best way to do the study,and how big it needs to be – this is called a feasibility study.
For our feasibility study we plan to recruit 100 care home residents who will be followed up over 6 months. If residents with dementia lack the ability to consent,we will gain a declaration from a relative or care home staff member who knows them well. All 100 participants will provide information and a urine sample at the beginning of the study. 25 of these participants will also provide repeated weekly samples for 4 weeks to look at any changes in the urine over time. Additional information and urine samples will be collected if a participant develops a UTI during the study and any treatments will be recorded.
Our findings will be used to develop a funding application for a larger study aiming to improve the diagnosis of UTI in care home residents.
Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.
The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:
Observational type: Case-controlled study;
You can take part if:
You may not be able to take part if:
The participant may not enter the study if ANY of the following apply: • Current/recent suspected UTI (within last 4 weeks). However,may be reassessed for eligibility after 4 weeks. • Temporary/respite resident (unlikely to remain living in the care home for the 6 months of the study duration) • Terminal illness limiting life expectancy such that inclusion would be inappropriate (as judged by care home staff). • Known to have a medical condition or be on treatment that is likely to result in severe impairment of the immune system. For example,neutropenia,recent cancer chemotherapy or radiotherapy,or long-term use of oral steroids or other immunosuppressant medication. • Experiencing faecal incontinence to the extent that it is impossible to obtain an uncontaminated urine sample (as determined by care home staff). • Indwelling urinary catheter or regular use of intermittent catheterisation. • Structural urological abnormalities. For example,renal polycystic disease,horseshoe kidney,hydronephrosis,renal hypoplasia • Current renal tract malignancy. However,residents with prostate cancer will be eligible if they do not require catheterisation and are not considered terminally ill.
Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.
The study is sponsored by University of Southampton and funded by NIHR School for Primary Care Research .
Your feedback is important to us. It will help us improve the quality of the study information on this site. Please answer both questions.
Read full details
for Trial ID: CPMS 56261
You can print or share the study information with your GP/healthcare provider or contact the research team directly.
