Double antimicrobial prophylaxis in girls with breakthrough urinary tract infections.
OBJECTIVE
Some girls receiving antimicrobial prophylaxis for recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) experience breakthrough infections. The clinical characteristics of girls experiencing a breakthrough UTI and the efficacy of an antimicrobial combination was studied.


METHODS
Girls were managed by frequent timed voiding, anticholinergic medication for bladder instability, and double antimicrobial prophylaxis consisting of nitrofurantoin (NFN) 2 mg/kg every morning and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMZ) 2/10 mg/kg at bedtime.


RESULTS
A total of 31 girls had experienced sixty-four UTIs during three hundred sixty-seven months (17.4 UTIs/100 patient-months) while receiving TMP/SMZ and/or NFN as single-drug prophylaxis. Of the girls, 21 (68%) had reflux, 15 (49%) had detrusor instability/voiding dysfunction, 8 (26%) had both reflux and voiding dysfunction, and 3 (10%) had neither voiding dysfunction nor reflux. While receiving double antimicrobial prophylaxis, 8 girls (26%) experienced a UTI and only 3 (10%) showed a UTI resistant to both TMP/SMZ and NFN. There were only sixteen breakthrough UTIs during four hundred thirty-nine months of double prophylaxis (3.6 UTIs/100 patient-months) (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Girls with breakthrough UTIs usually have voiding dysfunction and/or reflux, and in these girls double antimicrobial prophylaxis and attention to voiding dynamics were effective in preventing further UTIs.
Smith
E M
EM
Department of Urology, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio.
Elder
J S
JS
D002675:Child, Preschool; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009582:Nitrofurantoin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001750:Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic / Q000150:complications; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014718:Vesico-Ureteral Reflux / Q000150:complications
D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; D009582:Nitrofurantoin