Cost-effectiveness analysis of single-dose therapy of urinary tract infection compared to conventional treatment.

A cost effectiveness analysis comparing single-dose with conventional antibiotic treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infection is described. The analysis is based on aggregated effectiveness and side effect rates reported in the medical literature. A comparison of single-dose and conventional regimens of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and amoxicillin indicates that single-dose regimens are preferable to conventional regimens of either drug, and that trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is preferable to amoxicillin, on the grounds both of days of morbidity averted and of medical care costs. Thus single-dose therapy is cost-effective compared to conventional treatment.