This interesting, prospective, and randomised clinical study tested five different approaches in the treatment of women suspected with uncomplicated urinary-tract infection (UTI): immediate, empirical, antibiotic therapy (AT); delayed (by 48 h), empirical AT; empirical AT offered to patients showing a certain clinical symptom score; empirical AT offered to patients with positive dipstick urinalysis; and targeted AT offered according to the results of a midstream urine microbiological culture and symptomatic treatment up to the point when the microbiological results became available.

The study included 309 non-pregnant women aged between 18 and 70 years. All groups were comparable in terms of demographics, clinical characteristics and frequency of symptom severity at the time of study. The study aimed to achieve a similar-level reduction of symptoms without unnecessary antibiotic usage, laboratory investigations and reconsultations. A statistical consideration of sample size was performed for α=0.05 and β=0.2 for multiple groups. Patients with clinical symptoms who did not …