The National Prescribing Centre has published a MeReC Extra that covers the ASCOT Study, the Cochrane Review of UTI treatment in women and BNF for Children.
The editorial on the ASCOT Study reaches the conclusion that the current NICE Hypertension Guideline should be followed until it is updated. The same advice has already been given in a previous article on this site.
A Cochrane systematic review of 32 clinical trials involving 9,605 patients has shown that 3 days treatment with trimethoprim is effective in attaining symptomatic cure from urinary tract infections (UTIs) in non-pregnant women aged between 18 and 65. Longer courses are required for bacteriological cures but are associated with more adverse effects. 3-day courses are already recommended by the Standing Medical Advisory Committee (SMAC) and the Health Protection Agency (HPA). The Cochrane Review supports the continued use of 3-day courses with longer courses reserved for patients where bacterial eradication is necessary, for example in recurrent infections or where the patient is planning pregnancy.
The final article reminds readers of the recently published BNF for Children, available online at http://bnfc.org or http://www.bnfc.nhs.uk.
Action: Clinicians who are involved in treating hypertension, UTIs or children are encouraged to read the appropriate sections of this publication.