Postoperative urinary tract infections (UTIs):
A. Are usually treated with a 7- to 10-day course of antibioticsThe presence of a postoperative UTI should be considered based on urinalysis demonstrating WBCs or bacteria, a positive test for leukocyte esterase, or a combination of these elements. The diagnosis is established after > 104 CFU/mL of microbes are identified by culture techniques in symptomatic patients, or > 105 CFU/mL in asymptomatic individuals. Treatment for 3 to 5 days with a single antibiotic directed against the most common organisms ( eg, E. Coli, K. pneumoniae) that achieves high levels in the urine is appropriate. Initial therapy is directed by Gram's stain results and is refined as culture results become available. Postoperative surgical patients should have indwelling urinary catheters removed as quickly as possible, typically within 1 to 2 days, as long as they are mobile, to avoid the development of a UTI.