The efficacy of chronic therapy of recurrent lower urinary tract infections with fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin in type 2 diabetic patients

Background. Recurrent lower urinary tract infections (RUTIs) are one of the most frequent and arduous complications of diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin in the treatment of RUTIs in type 2 diabetic women. Material and Methods. The study comprised 100 post-menopausal type 2 diabetic women. All patients suffered from RUTIs and presented clinical signs of this disease and positive urine cultures (isolated bacterial uropathogen sensitive to fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin). The women were divided into two groups of similar size. Group 1 patients received fosfomycin every 30 days for 12 months and group 2 patients received nitrofurantoin every 12 hours before meals for 7 days and then every evening for 12 months. The patients remained under regular medical supervision in a diabetic outpatient clinic for the 12 months. Therapeutic success was established when both clinical cure and bacteriological eradication of the uropathogens were achieved at specified time points (3, 6, and 12 months) from the study begin. Results. The percentage of patients effectively treated did not differ significantly at 3, 6, and 12 months between the studied groups (p > 0.05). Signs of urinary tract infection were absent in 89% and 91% after 3 months, 90% and 92% after 6 months, and 88% and 88% of patient groups after 12 months of the study duration 1 and 2, respectively. Conclusions. Fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin are effective drugs for the treatment of recurrent uncomplicated lower urinary tract infections in type 2 diabetic patients (Adv Clin Exp Med 2007, 16, 6, 777-784).