Short-course nitrofurantoin for the treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis in women.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data on the efficacy of nitrofurantoin for the treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis in regimens shorter than 7 days. Evidence-based use of this drug is increasingly important as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance among uropathogens increases. METHODS: To assess the efficacy of nitrofurantoin vs trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, 338 women aged 18 to 45 years with acute uncomplicated cystitis were randomized to open-label treatment with either trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, 1 double-strength tablet twice daily for 3 days, or nitrofurantoin, 100 mg twice daily for 5 days. Clinical cure 30 days after therapy was the main outcome measure. Secondary outcomes included clinical and microbiological cure rates 5 to 9 days after therapy and, for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-treated women, clinical cure stratified by the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole susceptibility of the uropathogen. RESULTS: Clinical cure was achieved in 79% of the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole group and in 84% of the nitrofurantoin group, for a difference of -5% (95% confidence interval, -13% to 4%). Clinical and microbiological cure rates at the first follow-up visit were also equivalent between the 2 groups. In the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole arm, 7 of 17 women (41%) with a trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-nonsusceptible isolate had a clinical cure compared with 84% of women with a trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-susceptible isolate (P < .001). CONCLUSION: A 5-day course of nitrofurantoin is equivalent clinically and microbiologically to a 3-day course of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and should be considered an effective fluoroquinolone-sparing alternative for the treatment of acute cystitis in women.

Isolation of fluoroquinolone-resistant rectal Escherichia coli after treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis.

OBJECTIVES: Given increasing rates of co-trimoxazole resistance among uropathogens causing acute uncomplicated cystitis, fluoroquinolones, nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin are often considered as alternative empirical therapy. The choice between these drugs should depend in part on whether they are associated with the isolation of drug-resistant microbial flora. We conducted a randomized treatment trial to assess the effects of ciprofloxacin, nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin on the rectal microbial flora of women with acute uncomplicated cystitis, including isolation of fluoroquinolone-resistant strains. METHODS: Pre-menopausal women presenting with acute uncomplicated cystitis were randomized to treatment with 3 days of ciprofloxacin, 7 days of nitrofurantoin, or a single dose of fosfomycin. Women were followed for 1 month for evaluation of clinical and microbiological responses as well as for isolation of resistant rectal E. coli. RESULTS: Sixty-two women (25 ciprofloxacin, 17 nitrofurantoin, 20 fosfomycin) were enrolled and eligible for analysis. All three regimens were well tolerated and resulted in >90% clinical and bacteriological cure. The prevalence of rectal E. coli was markedly decreased by ciprofloxacin and fosfomycin, but not by nitrofurantoin. One woman treated with ciprofloxacin had emergence of two ciprofloxacin-resistant rectal E. coli strains within 10 days of completing therapy. No emergence of resistance was observed in the other two treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli remain infrequent in the rectal flora of women with uncomplicated cystitis in Seattle. However, a 3 day course of a fluoroquinolone for treatment of uncomplicated cystitis was followed by isolation of fluoroquinolone-resistant rectal E. coli in one patient.

Amoxicillin-clavulanate vs ciprofloxacin for the treatment of uncomplicated cystitis in women: a randomized trial.

CONTEXT: The high prevalence of resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and other antimicrobials among Escherichia coli causing acute cystitis in women has led to increased use of alternative antibiotics. One such antibiotic, amoxicillin-clavulanate, has not been well studied. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of a 3-day regimen of amoxicillin-clavulanate to that of a 3-day regimen of ciprofloxacin in the treatment of acute cystitis in women. The primary study hypothesis was that the amoxicillin-clavulanate and ciprofloxacin treatment groups would differ in clinical cure. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Randomized, single-blind treatment trial of 370 women, aged 18 to 45 years, with symptoms of acute uncomplicated cystitis and a urine culture with at least 10(2) colony-forming units of uropathogens per milliliter from a university student health center or a health maintenance organization. INTERVENTIONS: Women were randomly assigned to receive amoxicillin-clavulanate (500 mg/125 mg twice daily) or ciprofloxacin (250 mg twice daily) for 3 days and were followed up for 4 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measure was clinical cure. Secondary study outcomes of interest were microbiological cure and vaginal E coli colonization at the 2-week follow-up visit. RESULTS: Clinical cure was observed in 93 (58%) of 160 women treated with amoxicillin-clavulanate compared with 124 (77%) of 162 women treated with ciprofloxacin (P<.001). Amoxicillin-clavulanate was not as effective as ciprofloxacin even among women infected with strains susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanate (65 [60%] of 109 women in the amoxicillin-clavulanate group vs 114 [77%] of 149 women in the ciprofloxacin group; P = .004). The difference in clinical cure rates occurred almost entirely within the first 2 weeks after therapy. Microbiological cure at 2 weeks was observed in 118 (76%) of 156 women treated with amoxicillin-clavulanate compared with 153 (95%) of 161 women treated with ciprofloxacin (P<.001). At this visit, 45% of women in the amoxicillin-clavulanate group compared with 10% in the ciprofloxacin group had vaginal colonization with E coli (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: A 3-day regimen of amoxicillin-clavulanate is not as effective as ciprofloxacin for the treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis, even in women infected with susceptible strains. This difference may be due to the inferior ability of amoxicillin-clavulanate to eradicate vaginal E coli, facilitating early reinfection.

Evaluation of antimicrobial resistance and treatment failures for Chlamydia trachomatis: a meeting report.

Each year, Chlamydia trachomatis causes ~3 million new infections and results in more than 1 billion dollars in medical costs in the United States. Repeat or persistent infection occurs in 10%-15% of women who are treated for C. trachomatis infection. However, the role played by antimicrobial resistance in C. trachomatis treatment failures or persistent infection is unclear. With researchers in the field, we reviewed current knowledge and available approaches for evaluating antimicrobial resistance and potential clinical treatment failures for C. trachomatis. We identified key research questions that require further investigation. To date, there have been no reports of clinical C. trachomatis isolates displaying in vitro homotypic resistance to antimicrobials, but in vitro heterotypic resistance in C. trachomatis has been described. Correlation between the results of existing in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility tests and clinical outcome after treatment for C. trachomatis infection is unknown. Animal models may provide insight into chlamydial persistence, since homotypic resistance against tetracycline has been described for Chlamydia suis in pigs. Evaluating C. trachomatis clinical treatment failures, interpreting laboratory findings, and correlating the 2 clearly remain extremely challenging undertakings.