[Prophylactic antibiotic therapy in urology]

Prophylactic antibiotic therapy is used increasingly frequently in urology to prevent post-operative septic complications. The use of this method is based on experimental and clinical data which define the optimal time of administration of the antibiotic and the criteria for selection of the most effective drug. Transurethral resection of the prostate is the urological operation most frequently associated with antibiotic prophylaxis. It has been the subject of a large number of randomised studies which have confirmed the efficacy and usefulness of antibiotic prophylaxis. The other urological operations are reviewed and a critical study of the basis for antibiotic prophylaxis for each one is presented.