Literature Review
Since recurrent Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) are a significant global health burden, cranberry products have been proposed as adjuvant therapy for these infections. Havranove et al. (2020) report that these infections have been associated with 500,000 emergency room visits and 400,000 cases of hospitalization, resulting in a significant increase in health costs to approximately $2.8 billion in the US. Pharmacological approaches can sometimes be used as the first-line treatment for this infection, but they are associated with side effects and antibiotic resistance with prolonged use. The rise in healthcare costs has also been attributed to antibiotic resistance, contributing to the burden of bacterial infections. Henceforth, cranberry juice and related products offer a reliable and secure solution to this problem. Through cranberry juice, the patient will ensure sufficient fluid intake, which can facilitate the effectiveness of this therapy. By analyzing the recent literature on this topic, this paper will determine the effectiveness of cranberry juice compared to pharmacological approaches.
A comparison of the research questions
According to Konesan et al. (2022), D-mannose and cranberry products can successfully stop bacteria from adhering to the urinary walls and causing UTIs. The research will be able to evaluate this intervention’s clinical trials to compare it to pharmacological intervention and ascertain its efficacy. Lelie-van et al.’s goal for 2021 is to find out how well-versed adult women are in self-management techniques for successful UTI prevention. This idea involves deciding how to prepare adult women and whether they are aware of cranberries’ ability to prevent recurrent UTIs. The management of uncomplicated UTIs by community pharmacists will be investigated by Peiffer-Smadja et al. (2020). Community pharmacists play a pivotal role in promoting antibiotic stewardship by guiding the patient on proper antibiotic use and alternative non-antibiotic approaches in treating and managing UTIs. According to the hypothesis presented by Xia et al. (2021), cranberry juice and other related products can effectively prevent and manage recurrent UTIs. This product originated from New Zealand and possesses complex phytochemicals that can eliminate E. coli, the major cause of UTIs.
Comparison of the sample population
Konesan et al.’s (2022) systematic review examined 21 publications regarding the efficaciousness of cranberry, D-mannose, and their combination in treating and preventing recurrent urinary tract infections. Most of these articles included women from their early 30s to mid-50s, with only two involving women in their mid-20s. Leile-van et al. (2021) involved 719 women with an age range ranging from 18 to 50 years. Individuals in this age group have high educational attainment, which can contribute to self-management of UTIs. Educating these women on the preparation and use of cranberry can boost their knowledge, thus promoting effective management of UTIs. Peiffer-Smadja et al. (2020) involved 26 pharmacists who provided insight into their role in managing UTIs and included the barriers and facilitators they experience when advising patients. Xia et al. (2021) is a meta-analysis of 23 trials involving 4699 subjects for qualitative and 3979 for quantitative trials.
Comparison of the limitations of the study
Konesan et al. (2022) are limited in that they did not involve women with complicated UTIs, which could have been essential in determining how effective the intervention is depending on the severity of the infection. The limitation of Leile-van et al. (2021) in selecting the participants is that it only involved educated women while excluding those with low literacy levels who can still benefit from education on self-management of UTIs. Peiffer-Smadja et al. (2020) involved a small sample size and presented a risk of recruitment biases, which can hinder the generalization of the study findings. Additionally, a higher percentage of incomplete questionnaires may have impeded effective data collection. Xia et al. (2021) had several limitations, including insufficient information from some of the included studies. Furthermore, one of the studies involved a mixture of cranberry and lingonberry juice with similar phytochemicals, thus interfering with conclusive findings on the effectiveness of cranberries.
Conclusively, from the literature review, cranberry juice and other related products effectively treat and manage recurrent UTIs. Therefore, educating adult women on preparing and properly using cranberry juices is essential. Given the adverse effects of long-term antibiotic use, the pharmacist is crucial in promoting antibiotic stewardship and ensuring the effective use of alternative therapies for UTIs. Understanding women’s knowledge and perspective in self-management can determine the probability of embracing the new intervention in treating recurrent UTIs since the preparation and intake of cranberry is an effective form of self-management of UTIs. This concept can also influence their attitude toward education on alternative approaches for managing UTIs.
References
Havranova, J., Krinock, M., Widawski, M., Sluder, R., Kumar, A., Hippen, J., & Goel, H. (2020). Cranberry extract for preventing recurrent urinary tract infections: an outcome-specific meta-analysis of prospective trials. Journal of Women’s Health and Development, 3(3), 222-242.
Konesan, J., Liu, L., & Mansfield, K. J. (2022). The Clinical Trial Outcomes of Cranberry, D-Mannose, and NSAIDs in Preventing or Managing Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections in Women: A Systematic Review. Pathogens, 11(12), 1471.https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11121471
Lelie‐van der Zande, R., Koster, E. S., Teichert, M., & Bouvy, M. L. (2021). Women’s self‐management skills for prevention and treatment of recurring urinary tract infection. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 75(8), e14289.https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcp.14289
Peiffer-Smadja, N., Allison, R., Jones, L. F., Holmes, A., Patel, P., Lecky, D. M., … & McNulty, C. A. (2020). Preventing and managing urinary tract infections: Enhancing the role of community pharmacists—A mixed methods study. Antibiotics, 9(9), 583.https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics9090583
Xia, J. Y., Yang, C., Xu, D. F., Xia, H., Yang, L. G., & Sun, G. J. (2021). Consumption of cranberry as adjuvant therapy for urinary tract infections in susceptible populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis. PLoS One, 16(9), e0256992.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256992
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