Ms Smith is 27 years old and has been experiencing painful and difficult urinati

Question

Ms Smith is 27 years old and has been experiencing painful and
difficult urination (dysuria), frequent of urination and urgency. Her urine has a
milky color. She also has fever and malaise, which is evidence of infection. Upon
seeking treatment, she is given antibiotic therapy. After a few days on antibiotics,
her symptoms disappear. Microscopic analysis of her urine has revealed the
presence of white blood cells.

After examining the urine specimen from Ms Smith and studying her case
history, what disorder does she probably have? To what would you
attribute the milky color of her urine?

Explanation / Answer

She probably has a UTI (urinary tract infection) which can be caused by E coli. The white blood cells in her urine (usually blood cells are never found in urine) are a result of her immune system fighting the UTI within her kidney. Another possibility is an infection called a cystitis, which is a direct infection on the kidney. The white blood cells are sent in response to the invasion of harmful micro-organisms and because so many accumulate there, they are released from the kidney via urine once they have servered their purpose. This situation is very similar to seeing those white spots at the back of your throat if you have strep. throat or any other mouth/throat infection. Hope this helps, please rate.

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