Long-term angiogenic and thromboinflammatory signatures in post-COVID-19 syndrome.

Urinary tract infection (UTI), which can affect all parts of the urinary system comprising the urethra (urethritis), bladder (cystitis), ureters, and kidneys (pyelonephritis), is one of the most common bacterial infections and presents with heterogeneous clinical phenotypes []. UTIs can be benign, which are considered uncomplicated UTIs (uUTIs), or they can be life-threatening, which are considered complicated UTIs (cUTIs) []. Many uncomplicated UTIs resolve spontaneously or with antibiotic treatments and occur in nonpregnant females with no structural abnormality or comorbidities. In contrast, a cUTI presents with greater morbidity and a higher risk of treatment failure [–]. Urinary tract infections in specific populations, including those in adolescent or adult males, pregnant women, immunocompromised persons, renal transplant recipients, and in patients with indwelling catheters (catheter-associated urinary tract infection [CAUTI]), are all classified as cUTIs because they are at greater risk of poor outcomes [, ]. Acute pyelonephritis (AP) can be divided into uncomplicated and complicated infection types based on underlying risk factors (e.g., pregnancy, immunocompromise, urinary anatomical abnormalities, hospital-acquired bacterial infections). Uncomplicated AP in healthy, young, nonpregnant women can be treated as outpatients, but complicated AP may require hospital admission for intravenous (IV) antibiotic treatment []. Complicated UTI is common in the older population, especially those aged 65 years or older, and is associated with significant morbidity [, ]. In a retrospective study, incidence of cUTI in a cohort aged ≥ 65 years in the United States (US) was 3.06% in the male population and 1.77% in the female population []. Another US study found that the prevalence of prenatal AP among all pregnant women was 0.5%, with an incidence rate of 5.3 cases per 1,000 births []. Among multiple countries (Italy, Japan, Spain, US, and the region of Europe), CAUTI has been reported to develop in 1.2% to 8.3% among catheterized patients [–]. Studies predating this systematic literature review (SLR), which spanned 2013–2023, showed a significant economic burden of UTIs in the US []. Urinary tract infections are associated with approximately 1 million emergency department (ED) visits and 100,000 hospital admissions []. Prior research has found that AP led to hospitalization of 10%−30% of patients, with direct and indirect costs estimated at $2.14 billion in 2000 (approximately $2.9 billion in 2013) []. Approximately 15% of all antibiotics prescribed in the US in community settings were for UTIs, accounting for more than $1 billion []. The overall costs, including direct and indirect costs due to community-acquired UTIs in the US, have been estimated to be approximately $1.6 billion annually [].