Urinary tract infection (UTI) remains one of the most common bacterial infections, yet rising antimicrobial resistance and changing healthcare environments have challenged the traditional empiric approach to antibiotic therapy. Recent international guidelines from the European Association of Urology (EAU), Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and American Urological Association (AUA) collectively demonstrate a paradigm shift toward precision diagnostics, evidencebased antibiotic selection, standardized nonantibiotic prevention strategies, and simplified disease classification systems. The EAU has emphasized culture-based diagnosis, expanded nonantibiotic prophylaxis, and introduced a new framework distinguishing localized from systemic UTI. The IDSA has strengthened restrictions on treating asymptomatic bacteriuria, provided guidance for managing antimicrobial-resistant organisms, and simplified UTI categories. The AUA similarly highlights culture-directed diagnosis and the minimization of prophylactic antibiotics in women with recurrent UTI while formalizing nonantibiotic preventive measures. In Korea, unique resistance patterns, high extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and fluoroquinolone resistance rates, and frequent movement of patients between long-term care facilities and hospitals underscore the need for Korea-specific UTI guidelines. Although national surveillance systems such as KARMS (Korean Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System) and KorGLASS (Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System in Korea) provide valuable data, the evidence base remains insufficient to match the robustness of international guideline development. Establishing updated, Korean-contextualized UTI guidelines is essential for improving patient safety, optimizing antimicrobial stewardship, and effectively responding to the growing threat of resistance. The field is at a pivotal turning point, requiring proactive leadership and coordinated action within Korea’s urological and infectious disease communities.
Bae et al. (Tue,) studied this question.