Nitrofurantoin exerts greater effects on bacterial cells than mammalian cells because bacterial cells activate the drug more rapidly.
12.
The banned drugs are chloramphenicol, dimetridazol, ronidazole, furaltadone, furazolidone, nitrofurantoin, nitrofurazone and nitrovin.
13.
Several trials comparing nitrofurantoin to other commonly used agents have shown this drug results in similar cure rates for uncomplicated UTIs.
14.
A meta analysis of four out of twenty-two available studies on the safety of nitrofurantoin found no increased risk.
15.
Nitrofurantoin is contraindicated in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency because of risk of intravascular hemolysis resulting in anemia.
16.
Increasing bacterial antibiotic resistance to other commonly used agents, such as fluoroquinolones and trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole, has led to increased interest in using nitrofurantoin.
17.
Nitrofurantoin is not recommended for the treatment of pyelonephritis, and intra-abdominal abscess, because of extremely poor tissue penetration and low blood levels.
18.
One, nitrofurantoin, may require seven days of therapy to cure the infections, compared to only three days for the current front-line drugs.
19.
Several trials on the safety and ophthalmic malformations, cleft lip and cleft palate, and atrial septal defect, were more common in neonates exposed to nitrofurantoin during pregnancy.
20.
It is important to recognize nitrofurantoin as possible cause of symptoms and discontinue the drug when the suspicion of pulmonary side effects arises as it can be reversible if the drug is stopped early.
