Premenopausal women with recurrent urinary tract infections have lower quality of life

Exploring Factors Affecting Acceptance of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Patients with Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections: a Descriptive Qualitative Study

Purpose

Patients with recurrent urinary tract infections face complex management challenges. Fecal microbiota transplantation is a superior treatment for chronic infectious diseases, but limited patient knowledge affects treatment decisions. This study aims to identify factors associated with hesitancy towards fecal microbiota transplantation among patients with recurrent urinary tract infections, to help physicians and nurses in providing accurate and useful information to patients.

Patients and Methods

A descriptive qualitative approach was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews conducted with patients experiencing recurrent urinary tract infections who expressed hesitancy towards fecal microbiota transplantation. The interviews took place between September 2021 and December 2022. Thematic analysis was conducted on the semi-structured interviews to identify perceived facilitators and barriers associated with fecal microbiota transplantation.

Results

The analysis included interviews with thirty adult female patients with recurrent urinary tract infections. Four facilitators influencing patients' decision-making regarding fecal microbiota transplantation were identified: (1) the motivating role of hope and expectations for active patient participation; (2) the influence of healthcare providers, as well as family members and friends on patients' decisions to pursue fecal microbiota transplantation; (3) the patients' perception of fecal microbiota transplantation as a low-risk treatment option; and (4) the dedication to the advancement of medical treatments. In contrast, two primary barriers to accepting fecal microbiota transplantation were identified: (1) that conventional treatment controls disease activity, while fecal microbiota transplantation effects remain uncertain; and (2) that safety concerns surrounding fecal microbiota transplantation.

Conclusion

Comprehensive information about fecal microbiota transplantation, including donor selection, sample processing, the procedure, and potential discomfort, is essential for patients and families to make informed treatment decisions.

Registration

CHiCTR2100048970.

Reducing Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Women with MV140 Impacts Personal Burden of Disease: Secondary Analyses of a Randomized Placebo-controlled Efficacy Study

Background

Recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI) remains a major health burden for women. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (RCT; NCT02543827) reported that female patients with rUTI receiving a sublingual vaccine, MV140, had a reduction in rUTI and increase in UTI-free rate compared with placebo.

Objective

To determine the impact of MV140 on the personal burden of disease in women with rUTI using secondary endpoint data from the pivotal RCT evaluating MV140.

Design setting and participants

In the primary RCT, female patients with rUTI enrolled in Spain and UK (from October 2015 to April 2019) were randomized to placebo (6 mo) or MV140 (3 or 6 mo), and followed for 12 mo. Individuals analyzed in this secondary analysis included those in the placebo and 3-mo (recommended dose) groups.

Intervention

A polybacterial sublingual vaccine, MV140 (four inactivated whole-cell bacteria-Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, and Enterococcus faecalis), or placebo.

Outcome measurements and statistical analysis

Symptom severity scoring, antibiotic use, safety, and multiple aspects of quality of life (QoL; Short-Form Questionnaire [SF-36]) were assessed.

Results and limitations

Compared with the placebo group (n = 76), the 3-mo vaccinated group (n = 74) experienced fewer overall UTI symptoms (mean symptom score 102.2 ± 222.9 vs 194.2 ± 178.8; p = 0.0002), fewer days on antibiotics (12.4 ± 17.7 vs 28.7 ± 25.2; p = 0.0001), and improved total, general, and physical SF-36 QoL improvement (differences in means for total SF-36 score 15.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 8.80, 22.64; p < 0.0001), with only social function QoL showing no impact (4.07; 95% CI -4.93, 13.08; p = 0.3744).

Conclusions

Three months of MV140 is associated with a reduction of the personal burden of UTI by reducing overall UTI symptoms and antibiotic use, improving QoL in women with rUTI.

Patient summary

Three months of MV140 vaccine, which has previously been shown to reduce the risk of urinary tract infection safely, is associated with a reduction in the personal burden of disease.

A reference standard for urinary tract infection research: a multidisciplinary Delphi consensus study

The absence of a consensus-based reference standard for urinary tract infection (UTI) research adversely affects the internal and external validity of diagnostic and therapeutic studies. This omission hinders the accumulation of evidence for a disease that imposes a substantial burden on patients and society, particularly in an era of increasing antimicrobial resistance. We did a three-round Delphi study involving an international, multidisciplinary panel of UTI experts (n=46) and achieved a high degree of consensus (94%) on the final reference standard. New-onset dysuria, urinary frequency, and urinary urgency were considered major symptoms, and non-specific symptoms in older patients were not deemed indicative of UTI. The reference standard distinguishes between UTI with and without systemic involvement, abandoning the term complicated UTI. Moreover, different levels of pyuria were incorporated in the reference standard, encouraging quantification of pyuria in studies done in all health-care settings. The traditional bacteriuria threshold (105 colony-forming units per mL) was lowered to 104 colony-forming units per mL. This new reference standard can be used for UTI research across many patient populations and has the potential to increase homogeneity between studies.

Urinary Tract Infection Frequency and Prescription Prophylaxis in Females and Males with Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection

Females and males with recurrent urinary tract infections may receive prescription prophylaxis to reduce the infection frequency. Little is known about how prescription prophylaxis differs between patients meeting and exceeding the minimum threshold for recurrent urinary tract infections. The objectives of this study were to estimate the association between infection frequency and receipt of prescription prophylaxis and describe the type of prescription prophylaxis initiated. This observational study used de-identified fully-insured commercial insurance data from the Midwest from 2003-2016 to identify females and males under age 64 with recurrent urinary tract infections. The patients were categorized as having three or more urinary tract infections in twelve months or only two infections in six months. Multiple logistic regression models were used to determine the association between the infection frequency and receipt of prophylaxis. The frequency of the type of prophylaxis initiated was measured. The odds of receiving prophylaxis were greater in the females and males with three or more infections compared to the patients with only two infections. Estrogen prophylaxis was initiated at a higher rate in females aged 45-63 with two infections than the females with three or more infections. Prescription prophylaxis in females and males with recurrent urinary tract infections differs between those meeting and exceeding the minimum frequency threshold.

Psychosocial impact of recurrent urogenital infections: a review

Recurrent urogenital infections such as bacterial vaginosis, vulvovaginal candidiasis, and urinary tract infections have a high prevalence and pronounced psychosocial impact. However, no review has compared the psychosocial impacts across infection types. This narrative review discusses the impact of common recurrent urogenital infections on psychosocial aspects, including quality of life, stress, mental health, sexual health, work productivity, race and ethnicity, and satisfaction of medical care. Validated questionnaires show that women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis and urinary tract infections have decreased scores on all aspects of quality of life. Those with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis and urinary tract infections show lower mental health scores compared to the general population, with increased risk of anxiety and depression. Recurrent urogenital infections affect sexual relationships and intimacy, including avoidance due to symptoms or as a method of prevention. Recurrent infections also increase medical cost and negatively affect work productivity, leading to a combined estimated cost of over US$13 billion per year. There are clear effects of racial inequality involving minority populations that affect diagnosis, treatment, prevalence, and reporting of recurrent urogenital infections. Satisfactory medical treatment improves quality of life and mental health in those suffering from these conditions. Research evaluating psychosocial aspects of recurrent urogenital infections is variable and is not comparable across vulvovaginal conditions. Even so, psychosocial factors are important in understanding contribution and consequence of urogenital infections. Education, awareness, normalization, community support, and access to care can help to alleviate the negative implications of recurrent urogenital infections.

A systematic scoping review of faropenem and other oral penems: treatment of Enterobacterales infections, development of resistance and cross-resistance to carbapenems

Background

Antimicrobial resistance is an urgent global healthcare concern. Beyond carbapenems as broad-spectrum, often 'last resort' antibiotics, oral penem antibiotics currently are approved only in Japan and India, used for the treatment of indications including urinary tract infections (UTIs). Exploring oral penem use to better understand the impact of antibiotic resistance on public health would help inform the management of infectious diseases, including UTIs.

Scoping Review Methodology

This scoping review investigated the impact of faropenem and other oral penems on Enterobacterales infection treatment and evaluated evidence for faropenem resistance and cross-resistance to carbapenems. PubMed, Embase, J-STAGE and CiNii were searched for relevant English- or Japanese-language articles published between 1 January 1996 and 6 August 2021.

Key Findings

From 705 unique publications, 29 eligible articles were included (16 in vitro studies; 10 clinical trials; 2 in vitro and in vivo studies; and 1 retrospective medical chart review). Limited evidence described faropenem to treat infectious disease; only four randomized clinical trials were identified. Faropenem dosing regimens varied broadly within and between indications. One study indicated potential dependence of penem efficacy on underlying antibiotic resistance mechanisms, while several studies reported UTI persistence or recurrence after faropenem treatment. In vitro MIC data suggested some potential bacterial resistance to faropenem, while limited clinical data showed resistance emergence after faropenem treatment. Preliminary in vitro evidence suggested faropenem resistance might foster cross-resistance to carbapenems. Overall, very limited clinical evidence describes faropenem for treating infectious diseases. Preclinical and clinical research investment and dedicated community surveillance monitoring is crucial for understanding faropenem treatment patterns, resistance and potential cross-resistance to carbapenems.

Qualitative Analysis of a Twitter-Disseminated Survey Reveals New Patient Perspectives on the Impact of Urinary Tract Infection

Few studies have harnessed social media to explore patients' experiences with urinary tract infection (UTI); therefore, we captured UTI experiences and future research suggestions through a Twitter-disseminated survey. The survey posed three qualitative questions inquiring about the impact of UTIs, greatest UTI management hurdle, and research suggestions. We also asked participants to rate how seriously others perceive UTIs and the importance of UTIs in their life (scale: 1-100 (highest)). The study period spanned from January to June 2021. Coding was performed in duplicate, followed by thematic analysis. Of 466 participants from 22 countries, 128 considered their UTIs recurrent (n = 43) or chronic (n = 85). Six major themes emerged: UTIs drastically impact (1) physical and (2) mental health and (3) cause severe limitations in life activities. Patients reported (4) negative clinician interactions and perceived inadequate care, (5) a lack of knowledge and awareness surrounding UTIs, and (6) research gaps in UTI diagnostics and treatment. The participants considered UTIs extremely important (median: 100, IQR: 90-100), but characterized others' perceptions of them as less serious (median: 20, IQR: 10-30). Our survey revealed a patient population struggling with UTIs, particularly chronic UTIs. Our findings highlight perceived shortcomings in current UTI treatment and diagnostics.

Psychosocial burden of recurrent uncomplicated urinary tract infections

Introduction: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are a leading cause of bacterial infections in women. Despite acute treatment, 30-50% of women who have a UTI will experience a recurrence within 6-12 months. In this review, the focus will be on the personal psychosocial impacts of recurrent UTI. Methods: A PubMed/MEDLINE literature search was carried out from 2000 to 2020 in order to identify any recent high-quality meta-analyses or systematic reviews on these topics. Results: One systematic review was found appropriate for this manuscript. Concerning impact on quality of life (QoL) and daily activities, a reduced quality of both intimate and social relationships, self-esteem, and capacity for work was found due to recurrent UTI. Social function was substantially more reduced than physical function. In one study, the greatest reduction overall was in mental role functioning, whereas in another study, mental health reductions were not substantially greater than those of physical health. About one third of women suffered from UTI very often or often after sexual intercourse, and more than half of the patients stated that sexual relations were negatively influenced by UTI. Data from the GESPRIT study suggest that prophylaxis for recurrent UTI is underutilized, because less than 40% of the study population were offered prophylaxis after experiencing three UTI per year, despite all surveyed participants being willing to undertake at least one of the prophylactic measures listed in the survey. Conclusions: Little data on the psychosocial impact of recurrent UTI are available. Therefore, future studies must also incorporate QoL assessments as key outcome measures.

Dose Selection for Phase III Clinical Evaluation of Gepotidacin (GSK2140944) in the Treatment of Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections

Antibiotics are the current standard-of-care treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTIs). However, increasing rates of bacterial antibiotic resistance necessitate novel therapeutic options. Gepotidacin is a first-in-class triazaacenaphthylene antibiotic that selectively inhibits bacterial DNA replication by interaction with the bacterial subunits of DNA gyrase (GyrA) and topoisomerase IV (ParC). Gepotidacin is currently in clinical development for the treatment of uUTIs and other infections. In this article, we review data for gepotidacin from nonclinical studies, including in vitro activity, in vivo animal efficacy, and pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) models that informed dose selection for phase III clinical evaluation of gepotidacin. Based on this translational package of data, a gepotidacin 1,500-mg oral dose twice daily for 5 days was selected for two ongoing, randomized, multicenter, parallel-group, double-blind, double-dummy, active-comparator phase III clinical studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of gepotidacin in adolescent and adult female participants with uUTIs (ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers NCT04020341 and NCT04187144).

Allicin supressed Escherichia coli-induced urinary tract infections by a Novel MALT1/NF-κB pathway

Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains cause the majority of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and are resistant to various antibiotics. Therefore, it is imperative to explore novel host-target therapies. As a...

Diagnosis of acute cystitis in primary care: symptom-based versus urinalysis-based diagnosis

Aim:

This study aimed to provide insight into the congruity of acute cystitis (AC) diagnosis in women, measured both by the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) questionnaire and urine test(s).

Background:

The ACSS questionnaire was developed as a self-administering tool for assessing urinary symptoms, quality of life (QoL) and treatment outcomes in healthy, nonpregnant female patients.

Methods:

This prospective observational cohort study compared AC diagnosis based on the questionnaire with a GP diagnosis based on dipstick/dipslide test(s). ACSS questionnaire form A (typical and differential symptoms, QoL and relevant conditions) was filled in by the patient group, women suspected for AC visiting a GP practice with a urine sample, and the reference group, women visiting a community pharmacy for any medication. Analyses were performed assuming that the GP diagnosis based on urine test(s) was correct. Divergent result(s) of urine test(s) and ACSS questionnaire were analysed for scores of all individual questionnaire domains. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and the positive predictive value (PPV) and the negative predictive value (NPV) of the ACSS questionnaire and the urine test(s).

Findings:

In the patient group, 59 women were included, 38 of whom a GP positively diagnosed for AC. The reference group included 70 women. The PPV of the ACSS questionnaire was 77.3%, and the NPV was 73.3%. Analysis of patient data for divergent results showed that differential symptoms, QoL and relevant conditions explained false-positive and false-negative results. Revised results (most probable diagnosis) based on this analysis showed a PPV and NPV of 88.6% and 73.3% for the ACSS questionnaire and 100% and 76.2% for the urine test(s). For use in primary care, a reduction in false-positive and false-negative results can be achieved by including scores for differential symptoms, QoL and relevant conditions, alongside a total typical symptoms score of 6 or higher.

Patterns of recurring dispensing of guideline antibiotics for uncomplicated urinary tract infection in women over a 5-year period: Longitudinal patterns of recurring dispensings of Dutch guideline UTI antibiotics

BACKGROUND

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most prevalent medical conditions among women seeking primary care. About 20-40% of the women have a UTI recurrence during their lifetime.

OBJECTIVE

To provide insight in the patterns of recurring annual dispensing for antibiotics commonly used for UTI treatment in women, aged 18 years or older, during a 5-year follow-up period in the Netherlands.

METHODS

The Dutch Foundation of Pharmaceutical statistics collects dispensing data from more than 90% of all community pharmacies. Pharmacies with complete data between years 2011 and 2017 were included. Women of age 18 years or older with a first dispensing of nitrofurantoin, fosfomycin, or trimethoprim in 2012 and a dispensing of any medication in 2017 were selected. For each year between 2013 and 2017, the proportions of women with recurring dispensing of nitrofurantoin, fosfomycin or trimethoprim were calculated and stratified for age categories.

RESULTS

Within 1517 eligible community pharmacies, 463 821 women, aged 18 years or older, were dispensed one of the antibiotics in 2012, and 239 292 women still visited the same pharmacy in 2017. About 56% of them received at least one recurring dispensing during 5 years of follow-up. Each year, ~20% of the source population had at least one recurring dispensing. Approximately 2% of the source population had at least one recurring dispensing in each year of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Over the 5-year study period, more than 50% of the source population had at least one recurring dispensing for uncomplicated UTI, most of them with at least 1 year without UTI dispensing in between.

Relationship between frailty and lower urinary tract symptoms among community-dwelling adults

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the relationship between frailty and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), the association of frailty and LUTS remains unclear.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study investigated LUTS and frailty in 710 individuals (249 men and 461 women, aged ≥60 years) who participated in the Iwaki Health Promotion Project between 2014 and 2015 in Hirosaki, Japan. Parameters of frailty were compared for individuals with mild and moderate to severe symptoms of LUTS. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) were used to evaluate LUTS. Frailty was evaluated by the frailty phenotype (FP), modified frailty index (mFI), and frailty discriminant score (FDS). The influence of frailty on LUTS was investigated by multivariate logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

Frailty parameters of age, renal function, and lower physical activity were significantly associated with severity of IPSS and OABSS. FP and mFI were significantly associated with severity of OABSS and IPSS, respectively. The FDS was significantly associated with severity of IPSS and OABSS. FP, mFI, and FDS were significantly associated with severity of nocturia. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that FDS was independently associated with the severity of IPSS, OABSS, and nocturia, whereas FP and mFI were significantly associated with the severity of nocturia alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals with LUTS are potentially frailer than those without LUTS. Although the influence of frailty on LUTS is different depending on the measurement tool, attention for frailty is necessary for subjects with LUTS.

Patient Distress in Women with Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections: How Can Physicians Better Meet Patients Needs?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Recurrent urinary tract infections are a common condition that can impact patients' quality of life. The purpose of this review is to summarize and analyze the literature regarding the distress that these infections can cause to patients and provide guidance to clinicians on how to improve care of these patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

The current literature on patient perspectives in urinary tract infections shows an emotional symptom experience that is not consistent with the typical symptoms expected by clinicians. The infections can impact all aspects of quality of life, including social, emotional, and financial domains. Women with recurrent urinary tract infections experience a significant amount of distress. They have a strong desire for validation of their experiences by their physicians. Clinicians can best serve these patients by understanding the true impact of their condition and creating treatment strategies that include shared decision making to meet patients' goals.