What is a urinary tract infection?

Also known as: UTI, bladder infection (cystitis), kidney infection (pyelonephritis).

The body’s urinary tract includes the kidneys, bladder, ureters and urethra. It’s responsible for making, storing and removing urine from the body (plus other functions).

Normal urine has no bacteria in it and the one-way flow from kidneys to bladder usually prevents infections. When an infection does occur in the urinary system, it is known as a urinary tract infection, or UTI.

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Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM