Urinary tract infections in young adult women caused by Staphylococcus saprophyticus

We evaluated and compared 81 urinary tract infections (UTIs) withStaphylococcus saprophyticusoccurring in 72 college women withEscherichia coliUTIs. During the 14-month study period,S saprophyticuswas the second most common cause of UTIs, accounting for 11% of the total.Staphylococcus saprophyticusinfections occurred more frequently during the late summer and early fall. Age, history of previous UTI, signs and symptoms of infection, and findings on urinalysis were similar in patients withS saprophyticusandE coliinfections. Nine (41%) of 22S saprophyticusinfections were localized to the upper urinary tract by the antibody-coated bacteria technique compared with 18 (16%) of 115 infections withE coli(P=.01). Rectal, vaginal, and urethral colonization withS saprophyticuswas associated with UTI caused by these organisms, suggesting that their pathogenesis resembles that ofE coliUTIs. In vitro susceptibility testing showed almost uniform sensitivity ofS saprophyticusto most antimicrobials used to treat UTIs, but recurrent infections occurred in six of the 72 women despite adequate therapy. Physicians and microbiologists must be aware thatS saprophyticusis an important cause of UTIs in young women. (JAMA1983;250:3063-3066)