Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTIs) impose a substantial burden on US women, according to a study published in PLOS ONE. Jeffrey Thompson, PhD, and colleagues assessed the impact of uUTIs from the patient perspective using data from 375 US women who self-reported a uUTI in the prior 60 days and were treated with one or more oral antibiotics. Impaired activities included sexual intercourse (66.9%), sleep (60.8%), and exercise (52.3%). Compared with a matched control population, HRQOL was worse, as measured with the physical component score, the mental component score, and health utility index. Further, Work Productivity and Activity Impairment assessments were worse for the uUTI cohort versus controls. For participants receiving two or more antibiotics, adjusted direct costs were significantly higher than for women receiving one antibiotic ($2,090 vs $776). Increased activity impairment, worse HRQOL, and higher costs were seen for recurrent uUTI versus non-recurrent uUTI.
