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A CLINICAL APPRAISAL OF METHENAMINE HIPPURATE IN URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS
Author(s) -
Gibson G. R.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1970.tb77784.x
Subject(s) - clearance , urinary system , medicine , grocott's methenamine silver stain , urine , surgery , urology , pathology , staining
Methenamine hippurate, a new urinary antibacterial agent which releases formaldehyde and is excreted in the urine, has been used in the treatment of 29 patients attending a hospital clinic with recurrent or persistent urinary infection. In most cases, investigation revealed an associated abnormality of the urinary tract, such as chronic pyelonephritis, stone or obstruction. Seventeen patients were cleared of their infection, and a further two improved after four weeks' treatment with methenamine hippurate in a dosage of 1 gm twice a day. Of the remaining 10 patients, nearly all had a residual factor favouring persistence of infection, such as stone, scar or stasis. Limited follow‐up studies showed a recurrence of infection in two of 13 patients whose infections had been cleared, when they were checked three months or more after treatment. Methenamine hippurate has thus been very effective in these cases, without the use of other urinary acidification. Two patients experienced severe nausea, and a third stomatitis, necessitating reduction in the dosage and in the length of treatment.