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International Urogynecology Journal Mar 2024Antibiotic resistance is an unavoidable consequence of antibiotic use and growing rates of resistance are an urgent issue. Methenamine is a non-antibiotic alternative... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS
Antibiotic resistance is an unavoidable consequence of antibiotic use and growing rates of resistance are an urgent issue. Methenamine is a non-antibiotic alternative used for urinary tract infection (UTI) prophylaxis. The objective of this review is to evaluate recently published literature regarding the efficacy and safety of methenamine for UTI prophylaxis.
METHODS
PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL databases were queried in March 2023 using the following search terms: urinary tract infection, cystitis, bacteriuria, or dysuria, and methenamine. Studies prior to 2012 were excluded from this review to focus on appraisal of the most recent evidence. Prospective and controlled retrospective trials were included for review.
RESULTS
A total of seven studies (three prospective and four retrospective) met the inclusion criteria for review. Two of the 3 prospective studies demonstrated no or non-inferior differences in clinical efficacy to prevent recurrent UTIs between methenamine and antibiotic prophylaxis and the third showed decreased rates of UTI with methenamine use in patients with short-term indwelling catheters compared with cranberry alone. The retrospective studies consistently supported the efficacy and safety of methenamine for UTI prophylaxis in a variety of populations and clinical settings. Adverse effects reported with methenamine were similar to comparators and included nausea, abdominal pain, and headache.
CONCLUSIONS
The use of methenamine for UTI prophylaxis was shown to be effective in a variety of settings without an increased risk of adverse effects compared with prophylactic antibiotics. Larger blinded clinical trials are needed to further define the role of methenamine in UTI prophylaxis.
Topics: Humans; Methenamine; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Urinary Tract Infections; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibiotic Prophylaxis
PubMed: 38329493
DOI: 10.1007/s00192-024-05726-2 -
Pharmacotherapy Feb 2024Urinary tract infections (UTIs) commonly affect many patient populations. Recurrent UTIs (rUTIs) can be particularly problematic and lead to potential hospitalizations,... (Review)
Review
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) commonly affect many patient populations. Recurrent UTIs (rUTIs) can be particularly problematic and lead to potential hospitalizations, multiple antibiotic courses, and have a potential negative impact on quality of life. To prevent UTIs, antibiotics are frequently used for prophylaxis; however, antibiotic prophylaxis has notable untoward consequences including but not limited to potential adverse effects and development of antibiotic resistance. Methenamine, an antiseptic agent initially available in 1967, has re-emerged as a potential option for UTI prophylaxis in various populations, including older adults and renal transplant recipients. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of methenamine for UTI prophylaxis. A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidance was performed. A PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library search was conducted to identify relevant English-language studies evaluating methenamine for UTI prophylaxis including randomized controlled trials, case-control studies, and meta-analyses through June 2023. Articles were excluded if the studies did not primarily describe or evaluate methenamine for UTI prophylaxis, were commentaries/viewpoints articles, point prevalence studies, review articles, studies that evaluated methenamine used with another agent, and any duplicate publications from searched databases. A total of 11 articles were identified for inclusion. This systematic review suggests methenamine generally appears to be an effective and well-tolerated antibiotic-sparing option for UTI prophylaxis. Furthermore, the pharmacology, dosage and formulation, warnings, precautions, and safety considerations of methenamine that provide potential clinical considerations regarding its use for UTI prophylaxis are described. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical utility of methenamine for UTI prophylaxis.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Methenamine; Quality of Life; Urinary Tract Infections; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Treatment Outcome; Antibiotic Prophylaxis
PubMed: 37986168
DOI: 10.1002/phar.2895 -
Current Opinion in Urology Nov 2023Recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) in women are prevalent and difficult to manage. The rise of antimicrobial resistance makes it prudent to re-investigate the...
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) in women are prevalent and difficult to manage. The rise of antimicrobial resistance makes it prudent to re-investigate the role of nonantimicrobial agents in the prevention of RUTIs. We wanted to evaluate randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that employed methenamine hippurate as a therapy or prophylactic in adult women with rUTIs.
RECENT FINDINGS
Relevant databases were searched for RCTs using Cochrane methodology and reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) checklist, comparing the efficacy of methenamine hippurate to either an antibiotic or a placebo for the prophylaxis of rUTI in women.Six trials involving 322 patients taking methenamine and 419 patients receiving antibiotics in total were evaluated. The duration of the trials ranged from 12-24 months. Studies reported that methenamine was effective in extending the mean period between symptomatic episodes of urinary tract infections (UTIs), keeping the patient symptom- and infection-free, and reducing the number of UTI episodes. The newer studies reported that methenamine reduced the incidence rates of recurrent UTIs and was not inferior to the antibiotic in this regard.
SUMMARY
The outcomes of methenamine hippurate were found to be at par with the antibiotic prophylaxis. It might serve as a suitable alternative nonantibiotic prophylaxis for females with rUTIs.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Methenamine; Urinary Tract Infections; Hippurates; Anti-Bacterial Agents
PubMed: 37337660
DOI: 10.1097/MOU.0000000000001108