The impact of resistance on the management of urinary tract infections

Urinary tract infections requiring treatment are extremely common. It is estimated that between 20 and 50%, of adult women will have had at least one symptomatic urinary tract infection. When considering the optimal therapy of any infection, patient factors, organism factors, drug factors (e.g. pharmacokinetics), side-effects and cost as well as antimicrobial resistance all need to be considered. This paper deals with the impact of increasing antibiotic resistance on the management of urinary tract infections. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.