Long-term UTI prophylaxis is often started and then left alone

The edition in brief

An audit of 256 adults on antibiotic prophylaxis for recurrent UTI across 18 English general practices found a median duration of 2.2 years; only 58% were reviewed within six months, and only 23% of those with resistant urine isolates had their antibiotic changed, even though resistance was linked to more breakthrough infections. A Cochrane review of a battery-operated near point-of-care TB nucleic acid test found sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 98% against culture in five studies (3,291 people), better than smear microscopy but less sensitive than Xpert Ultra, and weaker in people with HIV and smear-negative disease. An Australian national cohort of 69,081 older people found 72% changed GP on entering a care facility, against 10% in home-based care, though continuity recovered quickly afterwards. A Japanese study of 503 home-care patients found that heavy polypharmacy and complex regimens were associated with greater physician-reported burden.