Davos16: Threat of urological infections at “Challenge the Experts”

The growing incidence of urological infections has nowadays increasingly been at the forefront of research and the concern is justified considering not only the alarming rate of occurrence but also the severity of infections and their impact on a patient’s quality of life.

At the upcoming 25th European Urology Forum to be held in Davos, Switzerland from 13 to 16 February, the issue of urological infections will take centre stage during the “Challenge the Experts” sessions with Dr. Béla Köves (Budapest, HU) presenting a series of lectures on recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI), catheter-associated UTIs and multi-resistant infections due to prostate biopsies.

“In our era of antibiotic resistance urological infections represent one of the biggest threats to urological communities all around the world, so it is important to talk about this issues,” said Koves.

“The Challenge the Experts session is a very good opportunity to highlight this growing problem. The lectures about recurrent urinary tract infections, catheter-associated infections and the infections caused by prostate biopsies are all relevant topics covering the the most frequent problems encountered by any urologist,” he added.

Koves also noted that regarding research, the increase of antibiotic resistance remains a very serious threat.

“A better understanding of the pathogenesis and molecular genetic background of urinary tract infections is of utmost importance,” he said. In other areas he mentioned that nocturia is also a common problem with a very negative impact in the patient’s quality of life.

“The topic of nocturia, its correct diagnostics and management is also under-represented in urological lectures and discussions,” he said.

Koves is one of five presenters invited by the European School of Urology (ESU) who will participate in the sessions which test the participants’ expertise on their chosen topics. The other participants are Drs. Jean-Nicolas Cornu (Rouen,FR) , Marcel Fiedler (Heilbronn, DE), Miguel Ramirez-Backhaus (Valencia, ES) and Anna Katarzyna Czech (Krakow, PL). Topics selected by the presentors ranged from reconstructive surgery, functional urology, uro-oncology to minimally invasive procedures, among others.

Now on its 25th edition, the European Urology Forum is one the longest-running scientific and educational events organised by the ESU for mid-career urologists with special focus on discussing major and controversial issues in various urological specialities. Combining state-of-the-art sessions, case studies and the “Challenge the Experts,” the programme provides a a critical update not only on what’s new in urology but also the impact on current treatment procedures, management strategies and future prospects in both medical and surgical therapies.