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Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:1026-1029.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Acute cystitis is a common and costly condition in women^1-2 that decreases quality of life.³ Many of the 8 million annual office visits for cystitis in the United States may be averted if low-risk women with unequivocal symptoms could be managed safely over the telephone^4-5 by specially trained nurses. Uncomplicated cystitis is amenable to such management because its diagnosis is based principally on a patient's history. In the absence of vaginal complaints, certain combinations of voiding symptoms increase the probability of urinary tract infection (UTI) to over 90%.^{4, 6} Accordingly, laboratory evaluation in most cases of simple cystitis appears to be unnecessary.¹ Urinalysis has been found not to be cost-effective in the diagnosis of cystitis^7-8 and has been eliminated from various practice guidelines.^9-11

Telephone diagnosis and treatment is assuming a greater role in the practice of medicine because it provides advantages to patients and providers alike.^12-13 Recently, several large US health . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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David R. Vinson, MD; Charles P. Quesenberry, Jr, PhD
Roseville, Calif

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