Antibiotic prophylaxis at urinary catheter removal prevents urinary tract infection after kidney transplantation

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common nosocomial infections in kidney transplant recipients, with limited evidence to guide antibiotic prophylaxis at urinary catheter removal. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of short-term antibiotic therapy at the moment of catheter removal after kidney transplantation.

Twenty kidney transplant recipients received 250 mg of ciprofloxacin orally twice daily 1 day before and at the day of the removal of the urinary catheter and were compared with 20 kidney transplant recipients without prophylaxis. UTI was diagnosed by use of urine culture and clinical signs.

All patients were comparable in sex, age, etiology of end-stage renal failure, immunosuppression, donor type, and initial function. After catheter removal at the 6th postoperative day, a rapid rise of UTI in kidney transplant recipients without prophylaxis (n = 12, 60%) was observed, whereas in patients with antibiotic prophylaxis the rate of UTI could be significantly reduced to 20%. Escherichia coli was the most isolated pathogen in the patients with UTI and was detected at the catheter tip in more than 50% of cases. In 2 patients (10%) after antibiotic prophylaxis, a ciprofloxacin-resistant E coli strain was detected.

The use of antibiotic prophylaxis during urinary catheter removal is recommended to prevent UTI in kidney transplant recipients.