Refused treatment for UTI

[Anonymous]

A nurse practitioner refused to treat my UTI today. She insisted that I wait until the urine culture came back before she would prescribe any medication.

I made the appointment at 8 AM today and got a call at 8:45 telling me not to come to my appointment because I'd need the urine culture results first. The next LabCorp appointment I could get was days away. My doctor's office does urine sample collections in the office, which is what I've always done in the past.

I argued that I needed to be seen sooner - I was nauseous along with the usual burning, etc. The nurse practitioner would not listen to me and refused to see me in the office.

So, I went to the ER. It was expensive but quick and easy. A simple urine sample was collected, quick test, quick antibiotics prescribed. Could all have been done at my doctor's office - for free (under my insurance plan - covers visits, not the ER).

Is it normal to be refused an appointment until after the urine culture is back? My practice was recently taken over by INOVA. Is this an INOVA protocol?

[Anonymous]

It's happened to me recently. The normal first line antibiotics no longer work well against common UTIs but the stronger full-spectrum antibiotics are really strong and hard on the body. It's a rational thing to do but they should have helped you get a quicker appointment for a culture.

As an illustration of the problem, I was treated with Bactrin for a UTI not too long ago (without a culture), but it didn't clear up my uti and then I got a raging infection into my kidneys. I had to go on a different, stronger antibiotic and had an allergic reaction to that one. So it ended up being expensive, complicated, and took me a couple weeks to feel normal again. It's going to be a big problem.

[Anonymous]

Next time go to a walk-in clinic or an urgent care clinic, not the ER, for a minor emergency like a UTI.

[Anonymous]

Kaiser did my first over phone had to do culture and wait a few weeks later for 2nd round antibiotics which worked

[Anonymous]

At cvs minute clinic when the culture came back negative the nurse called me and told me to stop taking the antibiotics. So that’s an alternative. I’m sorry op.

[Anonymous]

Not all practitioners will make you wait, but some will. It isn’t outside of normal to do so. They are able to treat more specifically with culture data.

[Anonymous]

It's probably common not to give antibiotics until after culture comes back. Refusing the appoint doesn't make sense. You don't need the appointment afertge culture comes back, you need it to get the sample done. When it comes back they either call and say everything is fine or they call in the prescription. I think you were right not to give meds before the culture comes back.

[Anonymous]

I was surprised recently by how good treatment for an ear infection was at a CVS Minute Clinic. I had low expectations, but the NP was excellent and the whole experience was on time and socially distanced, etc. On my insurance, there was only a minimal co-pay.

[Anonymous]

I would definitely go to Urgent Care or a Minute Clinic before I went to the ER for a UTI. You can drink unfiltered and unsweetened cranberry juice (I get it at WF) while you wait for your culture results, it will help. CVS also sells cranberry pills.

[Anonymous]

OP I have a ton of experience with UTI's and no your doctor should absolutely be able to culture and tell you within minutes whether you have one.

Get a new doctor.

Also, CVS Minute clinics and or any urgent care would be better than your current doctor. They are idiots.

If the longer culture comes back negative then they should send you to a URO GYN not no antibiotics. There would be an underlying reason for the pain.

[Anonymous]

At a minimum they should prescribe or recommend a urinary anesthetic while you wait. They're OTC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Next time go to a walk-in clinic or an urgent care clinic, not the ER, for a minor emergency like a UTI.

+1 why on earth would you go to the ER during covid for a UTI??? Omg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At a minimum they should prescribe or recommend a urinary anesthetic while you wait. They're OTC.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I have a ton of experience with UTI's and no your doctor should absolutely be able to culture and tell you within minutes whether you have one.

Get a new doctor.

Also, CVS Minute clinics and or any urgent care would be better than your current doctor. They are idiots.

If the longer culture comes back negative then they should send you to a URO GYN not no antibiotics. There would be an underlying reason for the pain.

Agree with this. UTI's are nothing to mess with. I'd find a new doctor. If you don't take care of it promptly eventually you will need specialty care.

[Anonymous]

I have a kid with frequent UTIs and yes, they should definitely culture your urine, but 90% of UTIs are caused by e.coli, so have never had a dr. not begin treatment with anitbiotics under that assumption until the labwork comes back.