SEE Attached

CASE STUDY FOR CHAPTER 9

URGENT CARE OF GREAT NECK

Name: Jennifer F.
Age: 25
Height: 5 2
Weight: 120 pounds
Symptoms: burning when passing urine,

frequent urges to urinate

HER STORY
Jennie got married about 2 months ago and had just moved to Great Neck, New York. Over the past 7 days, she had
noticed a mild to moderate burning sensation whenever she urinated. Initially, she thought that this was most likely
related to her period, which also occurred about a week ago. The burning persisted, but she was shy about mentioning
it to her husband.

A few days ago, she also noticed that she was feeling sudden and more frequent urges to go to the bathroom. That
night, she did not feel well enough to have sex and decided to go to bed early. In the morning while she was using the
bathroom, she noticed that her urine had an unusual odor. Jennifer just was not feeling right. She was worried that
perhaps she had hurt something in her genital area during sexual relations, or maybe she had a serious disease such
as bladder cancer. Jennifer decided to see a doctor that same day because she could not stand the pain any more.
Unfortunately, when she called a new gynecologist for an appointment, she was told that she could not be seen for
several days.

THE EVALUATION
Feeling frustrated, Jennifer arrived in our urgent care clinic, where she had to wait an hour while other cases were
treated. When her turn finally came, Jennifer was asked a series of questions regarding her overall health and asked
to provide a clean specimen of her urine. After waiting so long, she had no trouble giving the specimen we needed.

THE DIAGNOSIS
My suspicions were confirmed when I reviewed the results of Jennifer’s urine test. I was able to put her mind at ease
by telling her that she had cystitis. I explained that this is a common ailment in women who are sexually active, and
in fact, it’s sometimes called “honeymoon cystitis.” This infection is caused by bacteria that travel upward through
the urethra to the bladder. Since the female urethra is only 1.5 inches long, any bacteria introduced during sexual
activity do not have far to travel to cause an infection.

THE TREATMENT
I told Jennifer that I would prescribe some antibiotics. She felt very relieved and just wanted to go home, but first she
promised to stop and pick up her prescription. I told her to drink lot of fluids and to avoid sex for the next few days.
I also gave her another medicine called Pyridium, which acts as a relaxant and stops the frequent urges to urinate. I
mentioned that if her urine turned a bright orange-red color, she was not to worry, as this can be caused by the
Pyridium.

CASE CLOSED
Since her first episode of urinary tract infection (UTI), Jennifer has had a few more. But she and her husband have
agreed that he’ll use a condom when they have sex, and she drinks lots of water every day. And at the first sign of
cystitis symptoms, she always goes to see her doctor.

Discussion Questions
1. What are the word parts that make up the word cystitis?

2. What term means the increased output of urine?

3. What is interstitial cystitis? How is it different from acute cystitis?

4. An untreated bladder infection can sometimes go all the way to the kidneys and cause pyelonephritis. What is
this condition?