Urinary tract infections in general practice patients: diagnostic tests versus bacteriological culture: authors' response

contamination very hazardous. It is very likely that many bacterial counts have been overestimated. The authors apparently considered all mixed infections as contamination. It is well established that at least 5% of lower UTIs are due to two bacteria, usually two different E. coli. Symptoms of UTI can occasionally be due to another origin than infection; how many patients had a low bacterial count with a negative LE test and infection caused by enterococci? My last comments concern the antibiotic treatment. Guidelines for the treatment of uncomplicated lower UTI are available worldwide and have been very widely accepted. Antibiotics are extremely useful for the treatment of UTI but they are completely unnecessary for patients without infections, such as 20% of these patients with a negative NIT + LE test who were treated. Treatment duration of 7 days instead of only one simple dose of a fluoroquinolone for a lower uncomplicated UTI is not only ridiculous but certainly contributes to the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria and unnecessarily increased health costs.