Impact of Allergy and Resistance on Antibiotic Selection for Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Older Women

To review the impact of antibiotic allergy and resistance in older women with recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTIs) as determinants for a suitable oral antibiotic treatment choice. A prospectively maintained database of women 65 years old and older with documented RUTIs (≥3 UTI/y) and trigonitis on cystoscopy was reviewed. Demographic data, known drug allergies, renal function, antibiotic susceptibility of most recent urine culture, allergy, or resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), fluoroquinolones, and nitrofurantoin were obtained. From 2006 to 2014, 86 women with RUTIs met study criteria. Mean age was 77.9 ± 7.8, with 94% being Caucasian. An estimated glomerular filtration rate >30 mL/min was noted in 94%. The percentage of women allergic, resistant, or both allergic and resistant to TMP-SMX was 33%, 29%, and 15%, to fluoroquinolones was 14%, 34%, and 8.1%, or nitrofurantoin was 16%, 14%, and 5%, respectively. Twenty-eight percent (24 of 86) of women who were allergic and/or resistant to TMP-SMX and fluoroquinolones were sensitive to nitrofurantoin. Twenty percent (17 of 86) were allergic and/or resistant to all 3 antibiotics. Women who were allergic or resistant to TMP-SMX had a significantly higher number of other antibiotic resistances compared with women sensitive to TMP-SMX (4.9 ± 3.6 vs 2.1 ± 2.3; P