The Effect of a Short Antibiotic Course in Transurethral Prostatic Resection

Abstract

In a prospective randomized study of 192 patients, the effect of a short course of cefotaxime in connection with transurethral prostatic resection was analyzed. The antibiotic was given to 98 patients, while 94 were assigned to a control group without antibiotic. The frequency of bacteriuria in the cefotaxime group was 43% preoperatively and 18% six weeks postoperatively. In the control group the corresponding figures were 40 and 42% (pp<0.01). In the cefotaxime group, patients with preoperatively negative urine culture were prevented from acquiring bacteriuria, and 67% of preoperatively present infections were eliminated at six weeks after the operation, as compared with 30% in the control group. There were essentially no side effects of cefotaxime. Renal function was not influenced by the combination of cefotaxime and furosemide.