OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effect of acupuncture in the prevention of recurrent lower urinary tract infection (UTI) in adult women.

DESIGN:A controlled clinical trial with three arms: an acupuncture group, a sham-acupuncture group, and an untreated control group. Patients were followed for 6 months.

SETTING:An acupuncture clinic in Bergen, Norway.

SUBJECTS:Sixty-seven adult women with a history of recurrent lower UTI.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Acute lower UTIs during the 6-month observation period.

RESULTS:Eighty-five percent were free of lower UTI during the 6-month observation period in the acupuncture group, compared with 58% in the sham group (p<0.05), and 36% in the control group (p<0.01). There were half as many episodes of lower UTI per person-half-year in the acupuncture group as in the sham group, and a third as many as in the control group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION:Acupuncture seems a worthwhile alternative in the prevention of recurring lower UTI in women.

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effect of acupuncture in the prevention of recurrent lower urinary tract infection (UTI) in adult women.

DESIGN:A controlled clinical trial with three arms: an acupuncture group, a sham-acupuncture group, and an untreated control group. Patients were followed for 6 months.

SETTING:An acupuncture clinic in Bergen, Norway.

SUBJECTS:Sixty-seven adult women with a history of recurrent lower UTI.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Acute lower UTIs during the 6-month observation period.

RESULTS:Eighty-five percent were free of lower UTI during the 6-month observation period in the acupuncture group, compared with 58% in the sham group (p<0.05), and 36% in the control group (p<0.01). There were half as many episodes of lower UTI per person-half-year in the acupuncture group as in the sham group, and a third as many as in the control group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION:Acupuncture seems a worthwhile alternative in the prevention of recurring lower UTI in women.

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the role a daily intake of 100 mg of ascorbic acid plays in urinary infection prophylaxis during pregnancy.

METHODS AND MATERIALS:A single-blind clinical trial was carried out on pregnant women randomly assigned to the following treatment groups - Group A: oral treatment with ferrous sulphate (200 mg per day), folic acid (5 mg per day) and ascorbic acid (100 mg per day) for 3 months, and Group B: oral treatment with ferrous sulphate (200 mg per day) and folic acid (5 mg per day) for 3 months. All patients were clinically evaluated, and a urine culture was carried out each month for a period of 3 months. The chi(2) and odds ratio were used to compare effects with and without ascorbic acid, and statistical significance was considered at p<0.05.

RESULTS:Global frequency of urinary infections was 25%. The presence of urinary infections in Group A (12.7%) was significantly lower than in Group B (29.1%), (p=0.03, OR =0.35, CI 95% =0.13-0.91).

CONCLUSIONS:Daily intake of 100 mg of ascorbic acid played an important role in the reduction of urinary infections, improving the health level of the gestating women. We recommend additional vitamin C intake for pregnant women in populations which have a high incidence of bacteriuria and urinary infections.

:Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in women and many patients with recurrent UTIs do not eradicate the condition albeit being treated with multiple courses of antibiotics. The use of nutritional supplements might reduce the risk of recurrent UTIs. However, the role of supplements taken as single agents appears to be limited. We hypothesized that a combination of cranberries, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and vitamin C might produce a clinical benefit due to their additive or synergistic effects. We prospectively enrolled 42 consecutive women with recurrent UTIs treated with 120mg cranberries (minimum proanthocyanidin content: 32mg), 1 billion heat-killed L. rhamnosus SGL06, and 750mg vitamin C thrice daily for 20 consecutive d. Patients were advised to stop taking these supplements for 10 d and then to repeat the whole cycle three times. Patients were contacted three mo and six mo following the end of the administration of these supplements and evaluated with a semistructured interview and urinalysis. Responders were defined as the absence of symptoms and negative urinalysis or urine culture. Follow-up data were available for 36 patients. Overall, 26 (72.2%) and 22 patients (61.1%) were responders at the 3-mo and 6-month follow-up. No major side effects were recorded. The administration of cranberries, L. rhamnosus, and vitamin C might represent a safe and effective option in women with recurrent UTIs.

PATIENT SUMMARY:We evaluated the effectiveness of cranberries, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and vitamin C thrice daily for 20 consecutive d monthly for 3 mo for the management of recurrent urinary tract infections in women. Our results show that this approach might represent a safe and effective option.