Controversies in Treating Asymptomatic Bacteriuria and Urinary Tract Infection: A Case Based Review of Antibiotic Use in Renal Transplant Patients and its Impact on the Development of Resistance.

Abstract

There is excessive use of both broad spectrum and niched antibiotics for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in hospital and ambulatory setting in spite of clear guidelines on appropriate use. Majority of antibiotics prescribed in United States for UTIs are for nonspecific indications such as positive urine cultures in the absence of symptoms, etc. For these conditions especially asymptomatic bacteriuria, a large proportion of the antibiotics prescribed are unlikely to provide clinical benefit to patients. Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is a common finding in healthy women and persons with underlying urological abnormalities. Guidelines from Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) clearly define the use of antibiotics in ASB only in pregnant patients and in individuals prior to undergoing invasive urological procedures. IDSA updated the guidelines in 2019 on the use of antibiotics for UTI in special groups such as patients with neutropenia, solid organ transplants, and non-urologic surgery. Considering the implications of antibiotic resistance in the setting of indiscriminate use, there is definitely a need to improve their use in asymptomatic bacteriuria as well as in UTIs. In this review, we follow case-based approach to identify the barriers to appropriate antibiotic prescribing practices in renal transplant recipients.