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Transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy: is antibiotic prophylaxis necessary?

European Radiology volume 16, pages 939–943 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess infectious complications in transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUSPB), comparing two groups of patients: one group with antibiotic prophylaxis and the other without prophylaxis. A total of 1,018 TRUSPBs were performed from April 1996 to July 2003. No antibiotic prophylaxis was given in the first 614; the remaining 404 procedures were performed under antibiotic prophylaxis. Biopsy complications were assessed at outpatient urologist visits after the procedure in the 212 first biopsies and by telephone interview in the remaining 806. A total of 78 infectious complications were found. Major infectious complications (n=41) were septic shock (n=3), sepsis (n=3), Fournier gangrene (n=1), urinary tract infection (n=2), and fever requiring hospital admission (n=32). Minor infectious complications were fever that did not require admission (n=29), prostatitis (n=6), and epididymitis (n=2). Infectious complications occurred in 63 of 614 (10.3%) procedures without antibiotic prophylaxis and in 15 of 404 (3.7%) of those with antibiotic prophylaxis (P=0.0001). Of the 41 major infectious complications, 31 (75.6%) occurred in procedures without antibiotic prophylaxis (n=583) versus ten (24.4%) in those with prophylaxis (n=394) (P=0.0410). In conclusion, transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy of the prostate has a statistically significant higher risk of infectious complications when performed without antibiotic prophylaxis.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Lourdes Sanchez and Inés Artacho for their contribution in the clinical care of patients undergoing TRUSPB and John Giba for reviewing the English manuscript.

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Affiliations

  1. Diagnostic Imaging Department-UDIAT CD, Institut Universitari Fundació Parc Taulí, Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, Parc Taulí s/n, Sabadell,, 08208, Barcelona, Spain

    Jordi Puig, Anna Darnell, Patricia Bermúdez & Antoni Malet

  2. Internal Medicine Department, Institut Universitari Fundació Parc Taulí, Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, Parc Taulí s/n, Sabadell, 08208, Barcelona, Spain

    Guadalupe Serrate

  3. Urology Department, Institut Universitari Fundació Parc Taulí, Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, Parc Taulí s/n, Sabadell, 08208, Barcelona, Spain

    Marisa Baré & Joan Prats

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  1. Jordi Puig
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  2. Anna Darnell
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  3. Patricia Bermúdez
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  4. Antoni Malet
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  5. Guadalupe Serrate
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  6. Marisa Baré
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  7. Joan Prats
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Correspondence to Jordi Puig.

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Puig, J., Darnell, A., Bermúdez, P. et al. Transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy: is antibiotic prophylaxis necessary?. Eur Radiol 16, 939–943 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-005-0076-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-005-0076-2

Keywords

  • Prostate
  • Biopsy
  • Prostate
  • US
  • Antibiotics