Understanding Amoxicillin for Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

A urinary tract infection (UTI) refers to an infection within the urinary drainage system. Most UTIs respond well to antibiotic therapy and resolve without complications.

Location

• A UTI may start in the kidneys, the ureters (the tubes between the kidneys and bladder), the bladder, or the urethra (the tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.

Types

• According to Medicine Net, a routine, uncomplicated UTI may clear up after only one or two days of the right antibiotic. If there is a significant obstruction within the urinary drainage system or if the organism causing the UTI is a resistant one, treatment can be more complicated.

History

• According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a 10-day course of an inexpensive antibiotic named Amoxicillin was the treatment of choice for routine UTIs for many year. In 2003, however, doctors found that many UTIs caused by a bacteria known as E. coli are resistant to amoxicillin.

Significance

• Amoxicillin is still effective against many strains of bacteria that cause UTIs. For more drug-resistant infections, doctors may prescribe Augmentin, a more expensive antibiotic that combines amoxicillin with clavulanate.

Tip

• Your doctor may order a urine culture and sensitivity (C&S) test to identify the bacteria causing your UTI and determine if amoxicillin will do a good job of curing that infection.