Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37528415›Full record

ArticleAntimicrobial resistance and infection control2023

Antibiotic treatment failure of uncomplicated urinary tract infections in primary care.

Sky Wei Chee Koh, Tracy Si Min Ng, Victor Weng Keong Loh, Jun Cong Goh, Si Hui Low, Wei Zhi Tan, Hung Chew Wong, Pradeep Durai, Louisa Jin Sun, Doris Young and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Antimicrobial resistance and infection control, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
17citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.6field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Deep Learning-Based Rapid Identification ofRisk management and healthcare policy · 2026
    Article
  7. CAUTIon - not all UTIs are the same.Nature reviews. Urology · 2025
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Observational
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Nanohybrid Composites Based on TiOMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023
    Article
  17. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.

Sky Wei Chee KohNational University Polyclinics, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore. sky_wc_koh@nuhs.edu.sg.
Tracy Si Min NgDepartment of Family Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
Victor Weng Keong LohDivision of Family Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Jun Cong GohNational University Polyclinics, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
Si Hui LowNational University Polyclinics, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
Wei Zhi TanNational University Polyclinics, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
Hung Chew WongBiostatistics Unit, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Pradeep DuraiDivision of Urology, Department of General Surgery, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Louisa Jin SunInfectious Diseases, Alexandra Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
Doris YoungDivision of Family Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Paul Anantharajah TambyahDepartment of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
National University of Singapore · SGNational University Health System · SGAlexandra Hospital · SGNanyang Technological University · SGNg Teng Fong General Hospital · SGWomen's and Children's Health Network · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHigher resistance rates of > 20% have been noted in Enterobacteriaceae urinary isolates towards ciprofloxacin and co-trimoxazole (C + C) in Singapore, compared with amoxicillin-clavulanate and nitrofurantoin (AC + N). This study examined if treatment failure varied between different antibiotics, given different resistant rates, for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) managed in primary care. We also aimed to identify gaps for improvement in diagnosis, investigations, and management.

methodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2019 to 2021 on female patients aged 18-50 with uncomplicated UTIs at 6 primary care clinics in Singapore. ORENUC classification was used to exclude complicated UTIs. Patients with uncomplicated UTIs empirically treated with amoxicillin-clavulanate, nitrofurantoin, ciprofloxacin or co-trimoxazole were followed-up for 28 days. Treatment failure was defined as re-attendance for symptoms and antibiotic re-prescription, or hospitalisation for UTI complications. After 2:1 propensity score matching in each group, modified Poisson regression and Cox proportional hazard regression accounting for matched data were used to determine risk and time to treatment failure.

results3194 of 4253 (75.1%) UTIs seen were uncomplicated, of which only 26% were diagnosed clinically. Urine cultures were conducted for 1094 (34.3%) uncomplicated UTIs, of which only 410 (37.5%) had bacterial growth. The most common organism found to cause uncomplicated UTIs was Escherichia coli (64.6%), with 92.6% and 99.4% of isolates sensitive to amoxicillin-clavulanate and nitrofurantoin respectively. Treatment failure occurred in 146 patients (4.57%). Among 1894 patients treated with AC + N matched to 947 patients treated with C + C, patients treated with C + C were 50% more likely to fail treatment (RR 1.49, 95% CI 1.10-2.01), with significantly higher risk of experiencing shorter time to failure (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.12-2.33), compared to patients treated with AC + N.

conclusionTreatment failure rate was lower for antibiotics with lower reported resistance rates (AC + N). We recommend treating uncomplicated UTIs in Singapore with amoxicillin-clavulanate or nitrofurantoin, based on current local antibiograms. Diagnosis, investigations and management of UTIs remained sub-optimal. Future studies should be based on updating antibiograms, highlighting its importance in guideline development.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsUrinary Tract InfectionsAmoxicillin-Potassium Clavulanate CombinationCiprofloxacinDrug Resistance, BacterialEscherichia coliFemaleHumansNitrofurantoinPrimary Health CareRetrospective StudiesTreatment FailureTrimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug CombinationAmoxicillin-Potassium Clavulanate CombinationAnti-Bacterial AgentsCiprofloxacinNitrofurantoinTrimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug CombinationAmoxicillin-clavulanateAntibioticAntimicrobial resistanceEffectivenessGeneral practicePrimary careSingaporeTreatment failureUrinary tract infections

Identifiers

PMID37528415
PMCPMC10394943
OpenAlexW4385462796

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.