[Prophylactic use of antibiotics for fever following fiberoptic bronchoscopy and bronchography]

To evaluate the effect of bacampicillin hydrochloride on fever following fiberoptic bronchoscopy and bronchography, we conducted multi-institutional randomized study. In bronchographic examinations, the rise of body temperatures in the bacampicillin group (0.82 +/- 0.13 degrees C: mean +/- SE) was significantly smaller than that in the control group (1.39 +/- 0.25 degrees C) on the second day of examination. Bacterial infection may contribute to the rise of temperature on the day following bronchography, but no pneumonia or sepsis was observed. There was no differences in the rise of body temperature on the first, third or fourth day. In fiberoptic bronchoscopic examinations, there was no difference between the two groups. We conclude that there is no clinical indication of the value of prophylactic use of antibiotics in either fiberoptic bronchoscopy or bronchography.