Single-dose ceftriaxone treatment of urinary tract infections

Single-dose antibiotic therapy for urinary tract infections in which no underlying structural or neurologic lesions are present holds the promise of greater patient compliance and convenience. We present the results of a study comparing a single intramuscular dose of a long-acting, third-generation cephalosporin, ceftriaxone, with a standard, five-day regimen of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMS). Fifty-two patients were entered into the study. After randomization, 26 were assigned to the TMS group and 26 were assigned to the ceftriaxone group. Of the patients who completed the study, 13 of the TMS group had positive cultures at the time of initial presentation, and 20 of the ceftriaxone group had positive cultures. There was no statistical difference between the groups in symptoms of dysuria, hematuria, frequency, flank pain, and nocturia (alpha = .05). The physical parameters of age, blood pressure, pulse, and temperature were similar in the two groups (alpha = .05), as were the types of infecting organisms (alpha = .05). When comparing the two regimens, the ceftriaxone group cure rate (18 of 20, 90%) was not found to be significantly different from that of the TMS-treated control group (13 of 13) (alpha = .05).