Treatment of Acute Uncomplicated Cystitis and Pyelonephritis in Women

Publication Date: March 1, 2011

Key Points

Key Points

  • Preferred antibiotics for acute cystitis are nitrofurantoin, or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) if local resistance rates are < 20%.
  • In patients suspected of pyelonephritis, a urine culture and susceptibility testing should always be performed.
  • Preferred antibiotics for outpatient pyelonephritis are a fluoroquinolone or TMP-SMX. Consider an initial single-dose IV ceftriaxone or an aminoglycoside if community resistance is > 10% or, for TMP-SMX, if susceptibility unknown.
  • Women with pyelonephritis requiring hospitalization should be initially treated with an IV antimicrobial regimen such as a fluoroquinolone, an aminoglycoside with or without ampicillin, an extended-spectrum cephalosporin or extended-spectrum penicillin with or without an aminoglycoside, or a carbapenem.

Selecting a Treatment Regimen

...cting a Treatment Regi...

...cute Uncomplicated Cysti...

...monohydrate/macrocrystals 100 mg bid for 5 days is...

...MP-SMX DS bid for 3 days is an appropriate c...

Notes: The threshold of 20% as the resistance prev...

...tries and regions, trimethoprim 100 mg bi...

...insufficient to make a recommendatio...

Fosfomycin tromethamine 3 g single...

...nam 400 mg bid for 3 to 7 days is an app...

...e fluoroquinolones ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, a...

...nsity for collateral damage and should be res...

...²-Lactam agents including amoxicillin...

...actams, such as cephalexin, are les...

...generally have inferior efficacy and more ad...

...illin or ampicillin should NOT be us...


...e Pyelonephritis...

...spected of pyelonephritis, a urine culture...

...rofloxacin 500 mg bid for 7 days with or without...

...f an initial one-time IV agent is uti...

...e of fluoroquinolone resistance is thought...

...dated 24-hour dose of an aminoglycoside is reco...

...oral fluoroquinolone, including ciprofloxacin 1...

...P-SMX DS bid for 14 days is an appropriate choic...

...a consolidated 24-hour dose of an aminoglycos...

...lonephritis requiring hospitalization sh...


...d Urinary Tract Infections...


...ntibiotics for Acute Uncomplicated CystitisHaving...