Turkish Urologists' preferences regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for transrectal prostate biopsy

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Infectious Disease Prevention
• Surgical Prophylaxis

Background:

• Infectious complications are a significant risk following transrectal prostate biopsy (PB).
• Appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis is crucial for mitigating these risks.
• Understanding current practices among urologists is essential for guideline development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the antibiotic prophylaxis preferences of Turkish urologists for transrectal prostate biopsy (PB).
• To identify common practices and deviations from established guidelines in Turkey.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted among Turkish urologists who had attended national and international congresses.
• The survey focused on their antibiotic prophylaxis behaviors and rectal swabbing practices before PB.

Main Results:

• 98.7% of 237 urologists used antibiotic prophylaxis before PB.
• Prostatitis (63%) and urinary tract infections (29%) were the most common complications.
• Only 25.7% used single-dose prophylaxis; 3, 5, or 7-day regimens were common.
• Ciprofloxacin was the most frequently preferred antibiotic (65%).
• Rectal swabbing was not performed by 95.8% of participants.

Conclusions:

• Turkish urologists' practices for PB antibiotic prophylaxis are largely consistent with literature regarding agent choice.
• However, a preference for multi-day antibiotic therapy over single-dose prophylaxis was observed.
• Pre-biopsy rectal swabbing practices were found to be inconsistent with current literature recommendations.