Prospective assessment of risk of bacteremia following colorectal stent placement

Colorectal stent insertion is an invasive endoscopic procedure. However, there are no reports regarding the incidence of bacteremia with colorectal stent.

This study was to evaluate the risk of bacteremia and infectious complications after stent insertion for colorectal obstruction.

Patients who underwent colorectal stent insertion were enrolled consecutively. Blood cultures were obtained before colorectal stent insertion and at 30 min after the procedure. Patients were monitored for 48 h after colorectal stent insertion to detect the development of infectious complications. Procedural data collected included location of obstruction, degree of bowel preparation, obstructive symptoms, and the time required for the procedure.

Of 64 patients undergoing colorectal stent, four (6.3%) had a positive post-stent blood culture. All patients, including those with positive cultures, remained asymptomatic during the 48 h after the procedure. Site of obstruction, degree of bowel preparation, age, and underlying disease were not different between the two groups. Development of bacteremia was associated with long procedure time (p < 0.05).

Colorectal stent insertion does not induce significant bacteremia in patients with colorectal obstruction. These findings suggest that the routine use of prophylactic antibiotics may not be necessary in colorectal stent insertion.