Quantitative bacterial tissue cultures from 209 prostatectomy specimens: findings and implications

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Prostatic bacterial infection or colonization is a potential complication in patients undergoing prostatectomy.
• Understanding the prevalence and pre-operative indicators of prostatic infection is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of bacterial infection or colonization in prostate tissue from patients undergoing prostatectomy.
• To identify reliable preoperative and intraoperative indicators for predicting prostatic bacterial infection.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative bacterial tissue cultures were performed on prostate tissue from 209 patients undergoing prostatectomy.
• Preoperative and intraoperative variables were analyzed to identify predictors of positive cultures.

Main Results:

• Twenty-one percent (44 of 209) of patients had positive bacterial growth in prostate tissue.
• A preoperative indwelling catheter was associated with positive cultures, but only 34% of catheterized patients had positive results.
• Eighty-two percent (36 of 44) of patients with positive prostate cultures had sterile preoperative urine cultures.

Conclusions:

• Prostatic infection is prevalent in patients undergoing surgery for obstructive symptoms, with at least 21% affected.
• Current preoperative and intraoperative indicators are not reliable for identifying patients with prostatic bacterial infection.
• Further research is needed to develop effective methods for pre-operative diagnosis of prostatic infection.