Sandra Phillipi is a 32-year-old woman who has experienced frequent UTIs. She does not have a health care provider, but relies on the local drugstore chain’s clinic for most of her health care needs....

Sandra Phillipi is a 32-year-old woman who has experienced frequent UTIs. She does not have a health care provider, but relies on the local drugstore chain’s clinic for most of her health care needs. Sandra is married with two children and works in a retail store as a salesperson. In the clinic, Sandra’s physical examination reveals the following findings: temperature 38.4°C (101.2°F), pulse 106 beats/min, respiratory rate 18 breaths/min, and blood pressure 112/74 mmHg. She reports having dysuria, frequency, urinary urgency, and suprapubic pain. Sandra also reports seeing a small amount of blood in the urine and the sensation of incomplete bladder emptying. She states that recently her urine has become cloudy and smells bad. As you continue your interview with the patient, she states, “I can’t believe I have another UTI. I had one just last month.” The urinalysis reveals microscopic bacteriuria (greater than 10 5 /mL). A urine culture is also collected during this visit, and the results will be reported within 48 h. The patient’s preliminary diagnosis is recurrent UTI, and she receives a prescription for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) (Bactrim, Sentra). Sandra is referred to a local health care provider for follow-up car

1. How should you respond to the patient’s statements about the recurrent infections?

2. What health teaching regarding antibiotic therapy should you stress to this patient?

3. What information should you give patients about saving medications?