Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety
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Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf · Jun 2019
Impact of antibiotic treatment duration on outcomes in older men with suspected urinary tract infection: Retrospective cohort study.
Clinical guidelines recommend at least 7 days of antibiotic treatment for older men with urinary tract infection (UTI). There may be potential benefits for patients, health services, and antimicrobial stewardship if shorter antibiotic treatment resulted in similar outcomes. We aimed to determine if treatment duration could be reduced by estimating risk of adverse outcomes according to different prescription durations. ⋯ Antibiotic treatment for older men with suspected UTI could be reduced to 3 days, albeit with a small increase in risk of treatment failure. A definitive randomised trial is urgently needed.