Single-dose versus six-day therapy with sulfamethizole for asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy. A prospective randomised study

Abstract

Single-dose versus conventional six-day therapy with sulfamethizole for asymptomatic urinary tract infection in pregnant women was investigated in a prospective, randomised open study. During a nine-month period 4,274 pregnant women were screened for significant bacteriuria, which was found in 123 (2.9%), of whom only five had symptoms of urinary tract infection. Seventy-nine of the patients had a second urine culture performed, revealing significant counts of the same bacteria in only 41. These 41 patients were randomly allocated to one of the two treatment groups. Control urine cultures one week and 4-6 weeks after start of treatment revealed the same cure rates of approximately 50% in both groups. Single-dose treatment is not inferior to conventional therapy; future study is needed to find the best single-dose regimen.