[Effectiveness and tolerance of norfloxacin compared with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections]

Abstract

Forty patients with uncomplicated urinary tract infections were randomized to receive norfloxacin (400 mg) twice daily or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (160-800 mg) twice daily for 10 days. The percentage of patients with bacteriological outcomes of eradication was significantly greater (p = 0.0310) with norfloxacin (90%) than the obtained percentage with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (55%). The clinical response was, also, significantly better (p = 0.0012) in the norfloxacin group (100%) than in the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole group (55%). Two patients receiving trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole experienced clinical side effects-gastrointestinal in nature but the treatment was not discontinued. In the norfloxacin group clinical side effects were not observed. No adverse hematological or biochemical changes were noted. From these results, we conclude that norfloxacin is more effective than trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in the therapy of uncomplicated urinary tract infections.