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Trimethoprim is associated with negative renal outcomes in older adults

April 24, 2018
  • Advising on this article:
  • Edward F. Foote
  • Allana Sucher

KEY POINT

Use of trimethoprim for management of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in older adults was associated with a higher risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) and hyperkalemia compared with other antibiotics (i.e., ciprofloxacin, cephalexin, nitrofurantoin, amoxicillin), according to results of an observational cohort study published in BMJ. These data support the theory that the trimethoprim component of trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole has been implicated in other studies in the United States.

SOURCES

Crellin E, et al. Trimethoprim use for urinary tract infection and risk of adverse outcomes in older patients: Cohort study. BMJ. 2018;[Epub ahead of print].

Gupta K, et al. International clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis and pyelonephritis in women: A 2010 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the European Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Clin Infect Dis. 2011;52(5):e103–20.

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