In this Tuesday’s edition (22) of the Medical Correspondent board, of Novo Dia, the neurosurgeon Fernando Gomes spoke about the urinary tract infection, which hit former player Pele this week.
According to the medical bulletin, the football king, who has been hospitalized in São Paulo since the 13th to treat colon cancer, had the infection discovered through routine exams and should have a prolonged hospital stay. The condition is stable and the discharge should occur in the next few days, according to doctors.
For the specialist, Pele’s low immunity caused by the tumor may have facilitated the infection from which the former athlete suffers. “Without a doubt, the fact that there are treatments or conditions in which the immune system is lowered in its functioning, this predisposes to this loss of fight and, with that, the microorganism can win”, he explained.
The urinary system, according to Gomes, has a “very important” role in the release of excess water in the body, as well as solutes and other products in the body. The urine, however, must be completely sterile, that is, free of germs. In the case of the presence of bacteria, fungi or some other type of foreign agent for the system, a urinary infection arises, which can be treated with the use of antibiotics.
The neurosurgeon also explained the cause of the infection through the functioning of the urinary system itself, which begins with the role of the kidneys, the organ responsible for filtering the blood, removing excess toxins and fluid from the body through the urine – which, in turn, is stored in the bladder. Then the urine is expelled through the urethra. “This whole system needs to be sterile. There is no reason for there to be any microorganisms in this region. When that happens, we have the infection,” he said.
The diagnosis can be established through a urinalysis. The condition is considered relatively common and can cause unpleasant symptoms such as pain, bleeding and change in color and smell in the urine, fever and malaise. “That’s why all attention needs to be taken into account. It may seem like a simple condition, but it can often have very serious complications,” he concluded.
Source: CNN Brasil
