title: Duration of treatment for urinary tract infections in children.
abstract: In a double-blind trial 45 children aged 6 months to 14 years with Escherichia coli infections of the urinary tract were given co-trimoxazole for two weeks and then allotted at random to one of two treatment groups for the remainder of six months; one continued with the active drug and the other with dummy tablets of identical appearance. Of the 24 children who took co-trimoxazole for two weeks and the 21 who took it for six months, 11 and 10, respectively, remained without further infections for at least a year. Over 90% of the reinfections occurred within five months of stopping the antibiotics, and the longer treatment did not cause any delay in their appearance. Thus probably a six-month course of treatment is no more likely to achieve a cure than a two-week course; nevertheless, no infection occurred during treatment, and there may be an advantage in continuing with antibiotics in small dosage.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010919:Placebos; D012008:Recurrence; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D014295:Trimethoprim / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D010919:Placebos; D014295:Trimethoprim; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole