Don’t test urine in older patients with a change in mental status unless there is clear evidence of infection.

Treating Asymptomatic Bacteriuria (ASB) does not improve clinical outcomes (including altered mental state) but may increase adverse events from 1% to 7%. In older patients with ASB and altered mental state, antibiotics should be avoided without clear signs/symptoms of infection.

Sources:

Young J, Pasay D, Allan G M. Asymptomatic bacteriuria in the elderly: Don’t drug the bugs? Tools for Practice, March 6, 2023.

Nicolle LE, Gupta K, Bradley SF et al. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria: 2019 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2019 May 2;68(10):e83-e110. PMID: 30895288.

See other Choosing Wisely Recommendations : Nursing, Geriatrics, Urology, Hospital Medicine, Medical Microbiology, Pathology, Long Term Care.