Comparison of cinoxacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in the treatment of urinary tract infections.

Forty women with uncomplicated urinary tract infections owing to susceptible organisms were assigned randomly to 500 mg. cinoxacin or 160--800 mg. trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole twice daily for 10 days. Of 20 patients receiving cinoxacin none had bacteriuria during or 7 days after therapy, and 2 of 15 (13 per cent) were reinfected within 30 days. Of 20 patients receiving trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole 1 (5 per cent) had bacteriuria during therapy, 19 were uninfected during and 7 days after therapy, and 3 of 15 (20 per cent) were reinfected within 30 days. Adverse reactions occurred in 2 patients (10 per cent) in each group. Anal and vaginal Enterobacteriaceae maintained their sensitivity to cinoxacin. Three patients (20 per cent) on trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole presented with and 3 acquired anal Enterobacteriaceae resistant to the drug and 2 (13 per cent) acquired vaginal Enterobacteriaceae that were resistant. Cinoxacin was as effective as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole without the emergence of resistant bacteria associated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.