The widespread prevalence of UTI can be seen in a recent statistic published by NHS England, which shows that 22.7% of the UK’S antibiotic prescriptions are for the condition.
The current UTI testing procedure involves sending samples to a pathology laboratory, which takes some 48 – 72 hours to get back with results. A broad spectrum approach to antibiotic prescription then follows – an approach that very often specifies the wrong antibiotics. This mis-prescribing both slows down treatment and exacerbates an already huge problem, the global challenge of growing antimicrobial resistance (AMR).