An Acute Case Urinary of Tract Infection

A patient aged 31/male came with complaints of reddish colored urine for the last two days. There was no history of fever, burning urination or pain in the abdomen and back. He took it seriously because he lost his father due to chronic renal failure. The only history was that the patient is working in Coimbatore and doing his post -graduation (correspondence course) at Chennai he has to travel every weekend to Chennai, and there is frequent change in food habits.

The lab report before treatment (below) showed that serum creatinine and urea were within normal limits, but the presence of bacteria was suggestive of a infection in the urinary tract.

10.03.2014 (First prescription) – Uva Ursi 200 3-3-3 before food * 1 week.

Uva Ursi is characterized by cystitis with bloody urine. (If the patient would have ignored this infection he would surely have developed burning urination, fever, lower abdomen pain etc. for which I would have considered cantharis, mercurius cor., methylene blue etc)

15.03.2014 Patient feels better. No reddish urine. Placebo

Uva ursi being a short acting medicine is usually missed in our day-to-day prescribing and instead we try long acting polychrests like Lycopodium, Berberis vulgaris, Cantharis, Mercuriuscor. etc. Short acting medicines are very much useful in our daily practice especially when a patient is on a polychrest and when he comes down with an acute complaint.