Review: a short course of antibiotic treatment is as effective as a standard course in children with urinary tract infection

Data sources
Studies in all languages were identified by searching Medline (1966 to February 2001), EMBASE/Excerpta Medica (1988 to February 2001), the Cochrane Library (Issue 1, 2001), bibliographies of relevant studies and textbooks, and conference abstracts.

Study selection
Studies were selected if they were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi RCTs, involved children aged 3 months to 18 years with culture proven symptomatic UTI, and compared a short course (2–4 d) with a standard duration (7–14 d) of antibiotic treatment. Only studies that used the same antibiotic in both the short and standard duration arms were included.
Data extraction

Data were extracted on participant characteristics and numbers, antibiotics used, study duration and quality, and outcomes.
Main results

10 RCTs (652 children) were included. The meta-analysis (random effects model) showed that short duration of antibiotic treatment did not differ from standard duration for frequency of bacteriuria (colony counts ≥105 organisms/ml of urine) at 0–7 days after completing treatment, recurrent UTI at 10 days to 15 months after completing treatment, or recurrent UTI caused by resistant organisms ≥10 days after completing treatment (table).