Nitrofurantoin uses?

Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic mainly used for urinary tract infections. Key uses include:

- Acute uncomplicated cystitis (lower UTI) in nonpregnant adults and in children over about 1 month old, caused by susceptible bacteria (most commonly E. coli, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Enterococcus faecalis; some Klebsiella species as well). It’s not reliable for kidney infections.

- Prophylaxis for recurrent UTIs in adults (and some older children), often given as a low-dose nightly regimen or after intercourse.

- Asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy in selected cases (guidelines vary by region and patient; typically used only when clearly indicated and with caution, especially near term due to risk of neonatal hemolysis; not routinely used in the first trimester).

What it’s not for:
- Pyelonephritis, men’s prostatitis, systemic/complicated UTIs, or UTIs due to organisms not susceptible to nitrofurantoin.
- It should be used with caution in patients with significant renal impairment (reduced kidney function) and is generally avoided if the creatinine clearance is very low.

If you want, I can tailor this to a specific patient scenario (pregnant, child, recurrent infections, etc.).