Prevention of urinary tract infection

This article reviews the indications for the prevention or suppression of urinary tract infection (UTI) in a variety of clinical settings and is primarily devoted to a discussion of the prevention of recurrent UTI in pre-and postmenopausal women who do not have structural or functional urinary tract abnormalities. The epidemiology of these infections and intrinsic host factors, behaviors, and exogenous exposures that predispose to recurrences are discussed. Specific low-dose antimicrobial regimens for continuous or postcoital prophylaxis and intermittent self-treatment options are outlined. The apparent efficacy of various nonpharmacologic options for influencing the risk for recurrent UTI are discussed, as are directions for further research in the field.