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Role of fluoroquinolones in the treatment of serious bacterial urinary tract infections

Carson C, Naber KG

Drugs, 2004

Abstract

Serious urinary tract infections (UTIs) in adults--defined as acute complicated UTIs or pyelonephritis requiring initial intravenous antimicrobials and/or hospitalisation and nosocomial infections--cause significant morbidity and economic burden. In the US, UTIs are responsible for nearly 7 million outpatient physician office visits, 1 million emergency room visits and over 100 000 hospital admissions annually. Complicated UTIs often affect patients with underlying functional, metabolic or anatomical defects of the urinary tract, whereas most nosocomial UTIs (~80%) are related to short- or long-term catheterisation. Serious UTIs are often difficult to treat because infection involves a diverse array of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, coupled with increasing antimicrobial resistance in some uropathogens, and a higher rate of recurrent infections. Although Escherichia coli remains a common aetiology (< or =60%), other Enterobacteriaceae, Gram-negative bacilli (e.g. Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and Gram-positive bacteria (e.g. Staphylococcus aureus) are frequently isolated. Patients with long-term catheterisation have UTIs typically caused by organisms that produce biofilms making eradication even more difficult. Overall, aetiology and resistance patterns are not predictable for those with serious UTIs, necessitating confirmation by culture and susceptibility testing.Numerous intravenous and oral antimicrobial treatment options are available and the majority of patients…

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