Urinary tract infections may involve the lower tract or the upper tract. Lower tract infections affect the prostate gland, the urethra and the bladder, while upper tract infections affect the kidneys. The infections may migrate from one of those areas to another. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library notes that infectious agents that cause urinary tract infections include bacteria and fungi. Common treatments for urinary tract infections include medications to eliminate the infection and others to treat symptoms.
Oral Antibiotics
Bacteria entering the bladder through the urethra cause most bacterial urinary tract infections, and only 5 percent of those infections come from hematomous or blood-borne bacteria, according to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. Treatment of urethral infections with antibiotics includes a seven-day course of ceftriaxone with either azithromycin or doxycycline. In men, if the urethral infection does not come from a sexually transmitted disease, treatment may include the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole--TMP-SMX--or fluoroquinolone. TMP-SMX or fluoroquinolone may serve to treat bladder infections or cystitis. In cases of acute kidney infection or pyelonephritis, the treatment may involve hospitalization and intravenously administered antibiotics. Some antibiotics that are commonly used in that situation are ampicillin with gentamicin, TMP-SMX with fluoroquinolone, or cephalosporins, such as ceftriaxone.
Antifungal Medications
Fungal urinary tract infections mainly involve the kidneys and the bladder. The most common infectious agents are species of Candida, a type of yeast that usually lives commensally in the body, meaning that it causes no harmful effect. Sometimes, however, the presence of Candida can cause infections and tissue reactions. Since lower tract fungal infections mainly occur when a patient has a urinary catheter in place, treatment options include removal of indwelling catheters--Foley catheters--or urinary stents, according to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. Treatment with the anti-fungal drug fluconazole for seven to 14 days, and intravenous amphotericin B has proven successful. The brand name for fluconazole is Diflucan, and brand names for amphotericin B include Fungizone and Amphocin.
Antibiotic Injections
When infants with urinary tract infections present with dehydration, or if they cannot keep down antibiotics administered orally, doctors may administer antibiotics by injection, notes the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. A typical drug used in this instance is a third generation cephalosporin, such as ceftriaxone, known by the brand name of Rocephin, or cefotaxime--brand name Claforan.
Treatment of Symptoms
Sometimes drugs to relieve symptoms form part of the treatment plan. If bladder spasms contribute to an urgent need to urinate, doctors may prescribe the anticholinergic drug known as dicyclomine. Frequently used in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, dicyclomine may provide short-term relief from bladder muscle contractions. The pain relief drug known as phenazopyridine might provide relief from the burning sensation some patients feel while urinating.
References
- Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Bacterial Urinary Tract Infections
- Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Fungal Urinary Tract Infections
- Merck Manuals of Health and Aging: Urinary Tract Infections
- Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Pediatrics--Urinary Tract Infection
- MedlinePlus: Urinary tract infection - adults
