Unless there are UTI symptoms such as urinary discomfort, abdominal/back pain, frequency, urgency or fever, testing should not be done. Testing often shows bacteria in the urine, with as many as 50% of those tested showing bacteria present in the absence of localizing symptoms to the genitourinary tract. Over-testing and treating asymptomatic bacteriuria with antibiotics leads to increased risk of diarrhea and infection with Clostridium difficile. Overuse of antibiotics contributes to increasing antibiotic-resistant organisms.
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Nicolle LE, et al. Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria in adults. Clin Infect Dis. 2005 Mar 1;40(5):643-54. PMID: 15714408.
Stone ND, et al. Surveillance definitions of infections in long-term care facilities: revisiting the McGeer criteria. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2012 Oct;33(10):965-77. PMID: 22961014.