[Prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections by nitroxoline-real-world data of the ProNitrox study]

For recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI), nitroxoline, a hydroxyquinoline derivative with low resistance rates, can be used for long-term prophylaxis (LP). There is little data available on this so far. The clinical routine of LP with nitroxoline was to be assessed in a retrospective, noninterventional study under real-world conditions. In addition to demographic data, the extent of multimorbidity, existing risk factors for rUTI, the type of antibiotic therapy of the last acute episode of rUTI, and the rate of breakthrough infections were of particular interest.

In the period April-October 2024, data from 360 patients who received reinfection prophylaxis with nitroxoline for rUTI from 70 doctors were collected.

The rate of breakthrough infections was 13% and was predominantly determined from urine culture. Of the documented patients, 20% (women) and 47% (men) were classified as multimorbid and 32% (women) and 48% (men) were classified as geriatric. Furthermore, 31.6% of patients had complicating factors for rUTI. The duration of therapy with nitroxoline was usually 3-6 months, in rare cases more than 2 years.

The high number of comorbidities, older age, the high proportion of complicating factors such as urinary tract abnormalities and the use of antibiotics in the last acute episode, which are not intended for LP of rUTI, characterize the present patient group as difficult. Nevertheless, there is a favorable recurrence rate of 13%. The most frequently cited reasons for choosing nitroxoline for LP were good tolerability and effectiveness, the level of resistance and the therapist's positive experiences.