Bacteremia following liver biopsy in transplant recipients with Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy

Between 1990 and 1995, 666 percutaneous liver biopsies were performed in 196 patients at Gregorio Marañón General Hospital (mean 3.4 biopsies/patient); 533 biopsies (80.03%) were carried out in patients with choledochostomy biliary anastomosis and 133 (19.97%) in patients with choledochojejunostomy. Infectious complications, in the form of sepsis, occurred in two patients, who recovered favorably with antibiotic therapy. These two patients had undergone Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy (1.5%, not significant). Our findings suggest that the incidence of infectious complications after liver biopsy in transplant recipients is very low. Antibiotic prophylaxis at the time of liver biopsy in patients with Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy may decrease the frequency of infectious complications.