Urinary anti-infectives are drugs that are used to prevent or treat urinary tract infections. There are several classes of antibacterial agents in this category and they have different mechanisms of action. However, majority of these drugs tend to have high concentration in the urine and therefore are ideal to treat urinary tract infections, or used as prophylaxis for urinary tract infections.
Prevention
Prevention of lower UTIs involves identification and reversal of underlying causes of infection, such as vulvar fold dermatitis or congenital abnormalities such as ectopic ureter. Urinary catheterization should be used only when necessary and should be performed in a manner that maintains sterility as much as possible.
Intermittent catheterization is preferred to placement of an indwelling catheter. If indwelling catheterization is required, a closed sterile collection system should always be used, and the catheter should be removed as soon as it is no longer required, because the risk of ascending infection increases with every day the catheter is left in place. Treatment of catheterized animals with antimicrobial drugs may increase the risk for infection and so should be done only when necessary; antimicrobial drugs should not be used in an attempt to prevent urinary catheter infection. Routine antimicrobial treatment after catheter removal is not indicated unless clinical signs of UTI develop, because colonization that follows catheterization is cleared once the catheter is removed and host defenses are restored.
