A short antibiotic course given in conjunction with and after catheter removal consecutive to transurethral prostatic...

In a prospective randomized study of 96 patients, the effect of a short antibiotic course given after transurethral prostatic resection was analysed. Cefotaxime (1 g. i.m. every 12 hours to a total of 3 g) was given to 47 patients with the first doses when the postoperative catheter was removed while 49 were assigned to a control group without antibiotic. The frequency of bacteriuria was 48% preoperatively in the cefotaxime group and 33% six weeks postoperatively. In the control group the corresponding figures were 63% and 50% (p greater than 0.1). There were two cases of septicemia in each group immediately post-operatively whereas upper urinary tract infection developed in five patients in the control group and one patient in the cefotaxime group (p greater than 0.1). The total number of infectious and non-infectious complications was significantly greater in the control group (22) compared to the cefotaxime group (12) (p less than 0.05). The patients receiving the antibiotic remained a shorter time in hospital as compared to the controls. Bacteriological analysis showed a good in vitro effect of cefotaxime on isolated bacteria.