[Clinical aspects of antimicrobial therapy used in patients with urogenital infections].

AIM: To study the clinical aspects of using the furasidine potassium in combination with basic magnesium carbonate (furamag) and phosphomycin trometamol (monural) as antimicrobial agents most frequently used in outpatient practice during combination therapy for acute and chronic urinary tract (UT) diseases. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: To study the specific features of therapy for UT infections, 60 patients were randomized to 2 groups: 1) 30 patients received a course therapy with furasidine potassium (furamag) in a dose of 50 mg t.i.d. for 7 days (a study group) and 2) 30 had phosphomycin trometamol (monural) in a single dose of 3 g for pulse therapy (a comparison group). The clinical efficacy of the drugs, symptom disappearance rates, bacterial changes, and laboratory and instrumental findings were assessed. The patient's opinion was mainly used to evaluate outpatient pharmacoeconomic efficiency. Patient compliance with the given therapy was estimated by taking into account the specific features of prehospital care. RESULTS: During therapy, both groups showed positive clinical changes. In the study group, the symptoms of dysuria resolved 0.5 days more quickly and a complete clinical remission was achieved 0.8 days more promptly; the latter within the first 72 hours was achieved by 7.5% more of the patients; the symptoms of bacteriuria resolved 0.6 days more rapidly. With the similar average price of the packs of furasidine potassium (furamag) 50 mg (30 capsules) and phosphomycin trometamol (monural) 1 g (a sachet) being 350 and 370 rubles, the average costs of required treatment were 482 and 546 rubles, respectively. No case of adverse reactions was recorded during the study. CONCLUSION: Patients with infectious and inflammatory diseases of UT should be given furasidine potassium in the standard dose of 50 mg t.i.d for 7 days.

Carbapenem versus fosfomycin tromethanol in the treatment of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli-related complicated lower urinary tract infection.

The aim of this observational prospective study was to compare the effect of fosfomycin tromethanol (FT) and carbapenems (meropenem or imipenem cilastatin) in the treatment of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli-related complicated lower urinary tract infection (CLUTI). Inclusion criteria were: patients who were aged >18 yr with dysuria or problems with frequency or urgency in passing urine; those with >20 leukocytes/mm³ in urine microscopy and culture-proven ESBL-producing carbapenem or FT-sensitive E. coli in the urine (>105 cfu/mm³); no leukocytosis or fever; and who were treated with ft (oral 3 g sachet x 1 every other night, three times) or carbapenems between march 2005 and January 2006 in our outpatient clinic and hospital. A total of 47 CLUTI attacks in 47 patients (27 FT group, 20 carbapenem group) were observed prospectively. Clinical and microbiological success in the carbapenem and ft groups was similar (19/20 vs 21/27 and 16/20 vs 16/27 p>0.05). Drug acquisition costs were significantly lower in the FT group (p<0.001). Although it is not a randomized controlled study, these data show that ft may be a suitable, effective and cheap alternative in the treatment of ESBL-producing E. coli-related CLUTI.