A 35-year-old male presents with a one-week history of frequency, urgency, and dysuria. Urinalysis shows many white blood cells and positive nitrites. What are the potential causes, and what are the next steps?
The patient's symptoms and urinalysis findings are consistent with a urinary tract infection (UTI), likely cystitis. While UTIs are less common in males than females, they can still occur, particularly in the presence of risk factors such as urinary tract abnormalities, recent catheterization, or sexually transmitted infections. The next step would be to send a urine culture to identify the causative organism and determine its antibiotic susceptibility. Treatment typically involves a course of antibiotics.