[Recommended antibiotic therapy in episodes of urinary tract infection]

The present article reviews the scientific evidence available on antibiotic treatment of urinary tract infection in childhood. The information from clinical trials is of little use in decision making, because many of these studies evaluate antibiotics with a high level of resistance in Spain. Although some studies allow certain antibiotics to be identified as sufficiently effective, they do not permit clear hierarchies in the choice of therapy to be established. Nevertheless, data are available from clinical trials and systematic reviews on the efficacy of different routes of administration or regimens and on treatment duration, although this information is of doubtful clinical application in some patient groups. If cystitis in older boys is excluded, the distinction between upper and lower urinary tract infection is of little use. Consequently, differentiating between high- and low-risk infections according to the patient's age and the presence of fever and/or general repercussions is preferable. Finally, the choice of antibiotic will largely depend on the antimicrobial resistances of urinary pathogens in Spain.