Introduction Infections of the urinary tract (UTIs) pose a serious health problem for patients at high cost for society. UTIs are also the most frequent healthcare associated infections. E. coli is the predominating pathogen in uncomplicated UTIs while other Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcus spp are isolated in higher frequency in patients with urological diseases. The present state of microbial resistance development is alarming and the rates of resistance are related to the amount of antibiotics used in the different countries. Particularly worrisome is the increasing resistance to broad spectrum antibiotics. It is thus essential to limit the use of antibiotics in general and fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins in particular, especially in uncomplicated infections and asymptomatic bacteriuria.

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Guidelines on Urological Infections

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) constitutes about 20% of all cases of tuberculosis (TB) in Korea. Diagnosing EPTB remains challenging because clinical samples obtained from relatively inaccessible sites may be paucibacillary, thus decreasing the sensitivity of diagnostic tests. Whenever practical, every effort should be made to obtain appropriate specimens for both mycobacteriologic and histopathologic examinations. The measurement of biochemical markers in TB-affected serosal fluids (adenosine deaminase or gamma interferon) and molecular biology techniques such as polymerase chain reaction may be useful adjuncts in the diagnosis of EPTB. Although the disease usually responds to standard anti-TB drug therapy, the ideal regimen and duration of treatment have not yet been established. A paradoxical response frequently occurs during anti-TB therapy. It should be distinguished from other causes of clinical deterioration. Surgery is required mainly to obtain valid diagnostic specimens and to manage complications. Because smear microscopy or culture is not available to monitor patients with EPTB, clinical monitoring is the usual way to assess the response to treatment.

https://synapse.koreamed.org/upload/SynapseData/PDFData/0003trd/trd-78-47.pdf

Diagnosis and Treatment of Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis ranges among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A diagnostic approach to a patient with possible tuberculosis includes a detailed medical history and clinical examination as well as radiological, microbiological, immunological, molecular-biological and histological investigations, where available. Recently, important advances have been achieved in these fields that have led to substantial improvements in the accuracy and the timing of the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Novel methods allow for a better identification of latently infected individuals who are at risk of developing active tuberculosis, they also offer the possibility for a rapid diagnosis of active tuberculosis in patients with negative sputum smears for acid-fast bacilli and enable prompt identification of drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis directly from respiratory specimen with a high accuracy. In addition, promising methods that will further optimize the diagnosis of tuberculosis are under development. In the future, therapeutic interventions based on the results of novel diagnostic procedures can be made earlier leading to improvements in patient care.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1440-1843.2009.01692.x

Advances in the diagnosis of tuberculosis.

Several new international recommendations have been published since the German Central Committee against Tuberculosis (DZK) published its recommendations for drug treatment of tuberculosis (TB) in 2001 and for chemoprevention of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in 2004. These international publications have been integrated in the present new recommendations which describe both the treatment of active TB and preventive treatment, pointing out specific adaptations for Germany. Separate sections deal with the current management of mono-, poly-, and multiresistance or drug intolerance, of TB in children, of different forms of extrapulmonary TB, of LTBI and of special situations such as HIV infection, renal or hepatic insufficiency, infection following BCG instillation in bladder cancer or in case of adverse drug reactions. The following aspects differ from the previous recommendations: A three-drug regimen for the so-called fully susceptible minimal TB is no longer recommended in adults. A dosage of 15 mg/kg body weight of ethambutol for adults is regarded as sufficient. Four secondline drugs (supplemented by pyrazinamide, where appropriate) are recommended for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). MDR-TB should be treated over a period of at least 20 months, with an injectable drug administered for a minimum of 8 months (initial phase). Ciprofloxacine and ofloxacine are no longer used to treat TB. It is also recommended to offer an HIV test to all TB patients to complement antiretroviral therapy, if necessary, and to adapt the antituberculous therapy accordingly.

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[Recommendations for therapy, chemoprevention and chemoprophylaxis of tuberculosis in adults and children. German Central Committee against Tuberculosis (DZK), German Respiratory Society (DGP)].

Genitourinary tuberculosis (GUTB) is the second most common form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, with more than 90% of cases occurring in developing countries. Postmortem studies--from before anti-TB therapy was available--have provided insight into the prevalence and natural history of the disease. In GUTB, the kidneys are the most common sites of infection and are infected through hematogenous spread of the bacilli, which then spread through the renal and genital tract. Diagnosis of TB is often delayed owing to the nonspecific nature of its presentation; therefore, a high degree of suspicion should be exercised and a systematic approach should be taken during investigation. Appropriate culture samples should be obtained to tailor treatment. Standard treatment should be administered for 6 months; quadruple therapy for 2 months and dual therapy for 4 months. However, additional drugs and prolonged treatment are required if drug resistance occurs. Although the role of surgery in GUTB has decreased since the advent of anti-TB therapy, it can still have a role as an adjunct to drug treatment. Today, the challenges of GUTB and other forms of TB include increasing rates of drug-resistant cases and co-infection with HIV.

Severin Lenk

Papers

EAU guidelines for the management of genitourinary tuberculosis.