Routine Urine Testing at the Spinal Cord Injury Annual Evaluation Leads to Unnecessary Antibiotic Use: A Pilot Study and Future Directions

Two-thirds of the urine cultures of persons with SCI presenting for their annual examination were positive. Most of the positive cultures represented ASB cases, and more than a third of these were treated with antibiotics. A better understanding of the mandate for urine testing at the annual examination and the outcomes of this practice is an important first step in developing antibiotic stewardship for UTI in persons with SCI.