Prophylactic antibiotics do not prevent second UTI

Daily antibiotics used to prevent the recurrence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) do not lower the risk for subsequent infections, according to new findings from a retrospective study of 74,974 children at The Children's Hospital in Philadelphia's pediatric healthcare network. The study looked at medical records over a five-year period and found that 611 patients had a first UTI and 83 had a recurrent infection. Children between the ages of three and five years, those with severe vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), and Caucasians had the highest risk of recurrent UTI, but receiving daily preventive antibiotics was not associated with a lower risk of recurrent infection. In fact, the study found that use of the medications was associated with an increased risk of antibiotic resistance. According to the current American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) practice guideline for the management of children after a first UTI, an imaging study should be performed to evaluate whether a child has VUR. If the condition is present, AAP recommends daily antibiotic treatment to prevent UTI recurrence.

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