Comparison of Short-Term Therapeutic Effects between Amoxicillin-Clavulanic Acid and Ceftriaxone Sodium on Febrile Urinary Tract Infections in Children under Five Years Old

Abstract

Background: Febrile urinary tract infections in children are typically treated with a standard 10-day course of antibiotics. However, prolonged antibiotic use can lead to increased bacterial resistance, underscoring the need to explore shorter treatment regimens. This study aimed to compare the short-term therapeutic effects of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and ceftriaxone sodium in children under five years old with febrile urinary tract infections.

Methods: Clinical data from 109 children under five years old diagnosed with febrile urinary tract infections between August 2022 and December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 52 children received ceftriaxone sodium (group A), and 48 children received amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (group B). Clinical symptoms, laboratory indicators, clinical efficacy, and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.

Results: Children from group B showed significantly shorter improvement times for fever, dysuria, and urinary frequency compared to those in group A (p < 0.05). Initially, there were no significant differences in the levels of white blood cell counts, squamous epithelial cells, bacteria, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin between the two groups (p > 0.05). However, after treatment, group B exhibited significantly lower levels of white blood cell counts, squamous epithelial cells, bacteria, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin compared to group A (p < 0.05). Moreover, the total effective rate was significantly higher in group B (95.83%) than in group A (80.77%) (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between groups B (10.42%) and A (13.45%) (p > 0.05).

Conclusions: Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid demonstrated superior short-term therapeutic efficacy for febrile urinary tract infections in children under five years old compared to ceftriaxone sodium. It effectively reduced cure times, mitigated inflammatory responses, and improved treatment outcomes, suggesting its potential for broader clinical application and adoption.

Keywords: amoxicillin-clavulanic acid; retrospective studies; treatment outcome; urinary tract infection.