Study finds antiseptic drug is as good as antibiotics for preventing recurrent Urinary Tract Infections

Mar 11, 2022

New Delhi, March 11 (ANI): The current guidelines as the standard preventive (prophylactic) treatment for recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) recommend daily low dose antibiotics. However, such long term use of antibiotics has been linked to antibiotic resistance, so research into non-antibiotic alternatives is urgently needed. Methenamine hippurate is a drug that sterilises urine, stopping the growth of certain bacteria. Previous studies have shown that it could be effective in preventing UTIs, but the evidence is inconclusive and further randomised trials are needed. Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) is a very common type of infection in the urinary tract. It can affect the kidneys, bladder, and the tubes that run between them. The information provided by this trial "might encourage patients and clinicians to consider methenamine hippurate as a first-line treatment for UTI prevention in women," the researchers said.