Results of the ATAFUTI Study

This practice supported a research study called ATAFUTI in 2016. The study was investigating alternative treatments for urinary tract infections (UTI) in adult women. 

The results of the study have now been published, based on a total of 382 adult women, aged 18 to 75, who participated (of which eight women were recruited from this practice). 

Participants were randomly allocated to take a five day course of either a herbal product (Uva ursi extract) or a placebo.  In addition, some participants were advised by their GP to take ibuprofen to help with their symptoms, while others were not.  Participants were also given a ‘just in case’ prescription for antibiotics which they were asked to delay using for 3-5 days, unless their symptoms worsened.  The women kept a diary of their symptoms for 14 days (or until their symptoms subsided) and the study team monitored whether or not study participants had to see their GP with a UTI again in the following three months.

Summary of ATAFUTI findings

The study found there was no difference in symptom severity between the study treatment groups and no difference in the duration of moderately bad symptoms.  Overall, less than half of the women took their ‘just in case’ antibiotics during the first two weeks.  No episodes of serious urinary tract infections were recorded.

Although the study could not demonstrate any significant effect on symptom severity or time to recovery for women allocated to either treatment, GP advice to take ibuprofen resulted in a significant reduction in short term antibiotic use compared to no such advice.

A full report on the study can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2019.01.011.