Recurrent urinary infections in women: clinical trial of cephradine as a prophylactic agent

Cephradine 250 mg at night for 12 months was given as a prophylactic measure to 33 female patients of mean age 41.6 years, who had a history in the preceding 12 months of between three and 24 (median = 7) episodes of frequency and/or dysuria. When on such treatment the mean period between symptomatic attacks was 300 days, while before treatment attacks occurred at a mean frequency of 60.3 days. Thus, prophylactic cephradine increased the interval between attacks five-fold. In a total of 9002 patient-days of treatment, only five bacteriuric breakthrough infections occurred. 27% of the patients reported adverse effects "probably" or "possibly" related to treatment. Hence, cephradine appears to be as effective and better tolerated than macrocrystalline nitrofurantoin, presently the drug of choice for the prophylaxis of recurrent urinary infections.