C-reactive protein in early detection of bacteriemia and bacteriuria after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy

To evaluate the value of plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in early detection of bacteriuria and bacteriemia after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) of calcium and infection stones.

A total of 75 patients who had infection stones (n = 27) and calcium stones (n = 48) were included in the study. All patients had sterile urine before ESWL. The mean age was 41.6 +/- 4.85 and male/female ratio was 2.12. Blood cultures were obtained within 1 hour post-ESWL period. Urine cultures were obtained 3 times just after and on the first and seventh day of ESWL.

Post-ESWL evaluations showed 3 positive blood cultures with 2 (2.66%) patients in infection stone and 1 (1.33%) patient in calcium stone groups, whereas urine cultures revealed 6 (8%) positive results in infection stones and 4 (5.33%) in calcium stones. The patients who had positive cultures also had elevated plasma CRP levels when compared to the levels in patients with negative cultures (p = 0.000).

Bacteriuria and bacteriemia after ESWL have been well-identified entities and may be responsible from some of the post-ESWL complications. CRP can be useful for early detection of such complications.