Management of bacterial urinary tract infections in adults.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a comprehensive review of the diagnosis and therapeutic management considerations in patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs).

DATA SOURCES

A MEDLINE search was used to identify pertinent English language literature, including reviews. Infectious disease textbooks were used for background information.

STUDY SELECTION

Clinical trials evaluating drug therapy in a variety of patient populations with UTIs were reviewed.

DATA EXTRACTION

Background information was obtained from comprehensive reviews. Drug dosing strategies and efficacy comparisons were extracted from the investigations in this area.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Information was processed to provide general guidelines and resources for practitioners to use in managing UTIs.

CONCLUSIONS

There are a number of useful antibiotics for the management of UTIs. The distinctions between infection severity and underlying risk factors within a given population influence the appropriateness of drug selection and duration of treatment.