Objective: To determine the optimal management of catheter-acquired bacteriuria after short-term catheter use in women.
Patients: Asymptomatic patients (119) with catheter-acquired bacteriuria were randomly assigned to receive no therapy, a single dose (320-1600 mg) of therapy with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or 10 days (160-800 mg twice daily) of therapy. Thirty-two patients with lower tract symptoms alone received a single dose or 10 days of therapy, and 10 patients with upper tract symptoms or signs received 10 days of therapy.
Main results: The mean and median durations of catheter use were 6 and 4 days, respectively. Bacteriuria resolved within 14 days without therapy in 15 of 42 (36%; 95% CI, 21% to 51%) asymptomatic patients. Seven of the remaining patients developed symptoms. Single-dose therapy resolved infection in 30 of 37 patients (81%; CI, 68% to 94%); 10 days of therapy resolved infection in 26 of 33 (79%; CI, 65% to 93%). For patients with lower tract symptoms alone, resolution rates with single-dose therapy or 10 days of therapy were similar (11 of 14 [79%] and 13 of 16 [81%], respectively). Ten days of therapy resolved infection in 6 of 9 (67%) patients with upper tract symptoms. Infection was resolved more often in women who were less than or equal to 65 years than in older women (62 of 70 [89%] versus 24 of 39 [62%]; P less than 0.001). Bacteriuria resolved spontaneously more frequently in younger (14 of 19 [74%] compared with 1 of 23 older women [4%]; P less than 0.001). Single-dose therapy resolved infection in 31 of 33 (94%) patients who were less than or equal to 65 years.
Conclusions: Asymptomatic bacteriuria after short-term catheter use frequently becomes symptomatic and should be treated. For asymptomatic patients and patients with lower tract symptoms alone, single-dose therapy was as effective as 10 days of therapy; it was very effective in women who were less than or equal to 65 years. Bacteriuria resolved spontaneously within 14 days after catheter removal more commonly in women who were less than or equal to 65 years and both types of therapy were less effective in older women.