What is the appropriate antibiotic treatment duration for uncomplicated urinary tract infections in adults?

For uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in adults, the appropriate duration of antibiotic treatment is typically short, often around 3 to 5 days, depending on the antibiotic used and patient factors. UK guidelines recommend a short course of antibiotics for lower UTIs in adults, generally 3 days for women, as this duration is effective and reduces the risk of antibiotic resistance and adverse effects. The choice of antibiotic and exact duration should be guided by local resistance patterns and clinical response ¹.

Recent literature supports this approach, emphasizing that short-course antibiotic therapy is effective for uncomplicated UTIs and is associated with fewer side effects and lower risk of resistance compared to longer courses (de Cueto et al., 2017). Treatment duration may be extended in men or complicated cases, but for uncomplicated infections in otherwise healthy adults, 3 to 5 days is sufficient (Lashkar and Nahata, 2018).

In summary: For uncomplicated UTIs in adults, a 3-day course of appropriate oral antibiotics is generally recommended, with adjustments based on clinical judgement and microbiological data ¹ (de Cueto et al., 2017) (Lashkar and Nahata, 2018).