Which UTI symptom is less likely to present in elderly individuals compared to younger adults?

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Multiple Choice

Which UTI symptom is less likely to present in elderly individuals compared to younger adults?

Fever is the symptom most likely to be absent in older adults with a urinary tract infection. As people age, the body’s febrile response often becomes blunted, so infection may not produce fever even when bacteria are present. That’s why elderly patients frequently present with nonspecific changes such as confusion, delirium, weakness, poor appetite, dehydration, or a fall rather than a fever. The classic lower urinary tract symptoms—dysuria, urinary frequency, and urgency—can still occur in older adults, though they may be less prominent or reported less often. Clinically, don’t rely on fever to rule out a UTI in the elderly; consider evaluation with urinalysis and culture if there are new cognitive or functional changes or other signs suggestive of infection.

Fever is the symptom most likely to be absent in older adults with a urinary tract infection. As people age, the body’s febrile response often becomes blunted, so infection may not produce fever even when bacteria are present. That’s why elderly patients frequently present with nonspecific changes such as confusion, delirium, weakness, poor appetite, dehydration, or a fall rather than a fever. The classic lower urinary tract symptoms—dysuria, urinary frequency, and urgency—can still occur in older adults, though they may be less prominent or reported less often. Clinically, don’t rely on fever to rule out a UTI in the elderly; consider evaluation with urinalysis and culture if there are new cognitive or functional changes or other signs suggestive of infection.

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