[Bacteriologic, histologic and functional studies of the kidney in 5 days' therapy of experimental E. coli...

Short-term antibiotic treatment is recommended in infections of the lower urinary tract but its effectiveness is questioned in the upper urinary tract infections. We compared a 5 and a 9 day treatment of experimental E. coli 022 pyelonephritis after unilateral nephrectomy in 127 mal Wistar rats. We used 9 mg gentamycin per kg b.w. twice daily. I131 hippurat excretion was not decreased during the 5 day treatment but was only temporarily diminished during the 9 day treatment. Histologically the severe acute pyelonephritis was decreased after the 9 day treatment but not after 5 days of treatment. Bacteriologically almost all the kidneys were sterile after the 9 day treatment but the majority of the kidneys showed the injected strain of E. coli after the 5 day treatment. The results indicated that the shortened treatment was much less effective in our acute experimental pyelonephritis.