COMPLICATED URINARY-TRACT INFECTIONS

No standard definition exists for the term, complicated urinary tract infection. The term is usually used to convey an infection that occurs in a host with altered defenses or in a patient with a structural or functional abnormality impeding urine flow. Therapy of complicated infections represents a greater challenge than treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections. Drug treatment of complicated urinary tract infections often must be complemented with radiological/surgical intervention. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and the newer quinolone compounds are currently the preferred agents for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections. There exists a dearth of well designed published studies to sever as a resource for treatment guidelines.