A New Prescription Drug has Been Approved for UTI Treatment

The FDA has approved the UTI treatment Vabomere, which was developed to treat patients 18 years and older with complicated urinary tract infections.

Vabomere is an antibiotic treatment for UTI. The duration of treatment using Vabomere is 18 days.

The first line of treatment that is usually used to treat urinary tract infections is antibiotics. The type of drugs prescribed often depend on the type of bacteria found in your urine, in addition to your health condition. In Vabomere’s case, the following microorganisms are treated: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterobacter cloacae species complex.

What is a UTI?

A urinary tract infection (UTI) occurs when bacteria enter the urinary tract and multiply. UTIs can cause painful and frequent urination, as well as lower abdominal pain, and bloody urine. About 8 million doctor visits a year can be attributed to urinary tract infections.

UTI’s are more common in women, because their urethra is shorter than it is in men, allowing the Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria to travel a shorter distance.

Signs of a urinary tract infection

UTI Symptoms Women

Burning during urination
An intense need to urinate, even if only a little it comes out
Pain or pressure in your lower abdomen or back
Cloudy, bloody, dark, or strange smelling urine
Feeling shaky or tired
Fever or chills (If this is the case, the infections may have reached your kidneys)

UTI Symptoms Men

Painful urination and a burning sensation
The need to urinate frequently
A sudden urge to empty your bladder
Pain just above the pubic bone
Blood in urine

How to prevent UTI

Don’t hold your urine in. You should urinate when you feel the need to
Drink plenty of water or other liquids
Drink cranberry juice
When using the toilet, wipe from front to back
Empty bladder soon after intercourse
Change your birth control method

Antibiotics for UTI

Often, symptoms will clear up within a few days of treatment with antibiotics. You will be given a prescription that will continue for a week or more though. It is important that you take the entire amount of antibiotics prescribed.

There is a group of antibiotics, known as fluoroquinolones, that aren’t recommended to treat simple UTIs. Ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin fall into this group. These prescriptions are generally reserved for more complicated UTIs or kidney infections.