Outpatient antibiotic therapy for urinary tract infections in women.

Culture may not be required to confirm the diagnosis of urinary tract infections in young women with symptoms; antimicrobial therapy usually resolves symptoms. While relapse may occur more frequently with single-dose therapy, late recurrence rates are the same and side effects are less than with multiple-dose therapy. Patients with relapsing infection or frequent recurrence are candidates for chronic prophylaxis with low-dose antimicrobial or prompt self-administered therapy.