A comparison of single-dose versus conventional-dose antibiotic treatment of bacteriuria in elderly women

Abstract

The efficacy of single-dose antibiotic therapy for the treatment of bacteriuria in a group of non-catheterized elderly women was compared with that of conventional 7-10 day courses of antibiotic therapy. Thirty-one women received single-dose treatment and 22 conventional-dose treatment. The cure rates at 1 and 6 weeks for the single-dose treatments were 52% and 38%respectively, and the cure rates for the conventional-dose treatments at 1 and 6 weeks were 59% and 52%, respectively. It is concluded that there may be a place for the use of single-dose antibiotic therapy for the treatment of selected elderly women with bacteriuria, but larger studies are needed. © 1991 British Geriatrics Society.