Prevention of pain and infective complications after transrectal prostate biopsy: a prospective study

To investigate the effects of lidocaine gel and parenteral antibiotics and povidine lavage in the treatment of pain occurring during prostate biopsy in terms of infective complications.

Eighty patients with indications for prostate biopsy were randomized into two groups. One group underwent lavage with povidine iodine solution and lidocaine gel, and the other received cephtriaxon and lavage. Pain experienced by the patients was measured by visual analog scale (VAS). Blood samples were taken 15 and 60 min after the procedure, and urine culture antibiograms were taken 60 min after the procedure.

The average pain score was 3.70 in Group 1 and 4.25 in Group 2; the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Likewise, no statistically significant difference between groups was found by the chi square test in either urine or blood cultures (P > 0.05).

Lavage with betadine prior to transrectal prostate biopsy is adequate in the prevention of infective complications; however, because lidocaine gel is not effective against pain, alternative methods for pain management need to be developed.