Urinary tract infections and clinical variables in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute of Jipijapa

Abstract

Urinary tract infection is one of the most common pathologies, characterized by inflammation of the urothelium. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects glucose metabolism and brings with it various complications, including infections. The present study aimed to analyze urinary tract infections and clinical variables in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were treated at the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute in Jipijapa.  We hypothesized a high frequency of urinary tract infections related to the main clinical variables in this population. The study was descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional, and quantitative. Data from 194 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus were analyzed. It was identified that 21.1% of patients presented with urinary tract infections, reflecting a high frequency of this complication in the diabetic population. Most cases corresponded to women with hyperglycemia. Furthermore, the disease onset time was less than or equal to 9 years in more than half of the cases, although complications such as nephropathy (22.7%) and diabetic retinopathy (20.5%) were already present. The most relevant risk factors for urinary tract infections were persistent hyperglycemia (46.3%), advanced age, and female sex (29.3%). In conclusion, urinary tract infections were a frequent complication in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and their occurrence was related to specific clinical and demographic factors, which underscored the need for more rigorous medical follow-up.