Oral antibiotics work as well as intravenous treatment in severe urinary tract infection

Oral antibiotics are as effective as intravenous antibiotics in treating acute symptoms and preventing long term complications in severe urinary tract infection (UTI), according to a recent Cochrane review ( Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007;(4):CD003237). The review analysed data from 15 studies of 1743 patients with severe, symptomatic urinary tract infection who received either oral or parenteral antibiotic treatment. They either used intravenous antibiotics throughout treatment or started with intravenous or intramuscular antibiotics before switching to oral antibiotics—“switch therapy”. The results showed no evidence that oral antibiotics were less effective than …