Comparison of Single and Prolonged Fluoroquinolone Prophylaxis and Risk Factors for Infectious Complications After Transrectal Prostate Biopsy.

Background: The ideal prophylaxis duration for transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy is incompletely defined.

Aims: To compare the infectious complications of transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy with and without extended antibiotic prophylaxis. The secondary aim was to evaluate the risk factors for infectious complications.

Study Design: Prospective observational study.

Methods: Four hundred patients who underwent transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy were recruited. Patients orally received either 750 mg ciprofloxacin 60 min before the procedure or 500 mg ciprofloxacin twice a day for a duration of 7 days with the initial dose administered 24 h prior to the procedure. All patients were followed-up for 4 weeks after the transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy procedure for infectious complications. Screening of urine was carried out in all patients on the 3 and 7 day after the procedure. Medical histories of all patients were collected prior to biopsy. Information on medical history include the following: hospitalization, urethral catheterization, or urinary tract infections within the past 12 months; antibiotic use within the last 3 months, prior urinary tract interventions, and previous transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy and Charlson comorbidity indexes. Ultrasound-guided biopsy was carried out using General Electric’s 7 MHz transrectal ultrasound device in the left decubitus position. Patients received one of the two ciprofloxacin-based prophylaxis regimens. Subsequent transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy to all patients were followed-up for 30 days. Further follow-up of patients was carried out on the second and fourth weeks after transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy, and symptoms, such as dysuria, rectal bleeding, fever, hematospermia, hematuria, and pollakiuria, were recorded.

Results: Both groups presented similar baseline characteristics and medical history. Infectious complication rates within the 4-week follow-up were similar in both groups (single dose: 3% vs prolonged: 3%) (p>0.05). In both groups, infectious complications significantly increased than that at previous antibiotic usage (single: p=0.028; prolonged: p=0.040). Non-infectious complication ratios showed no significant variation (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Pre-operative single dose of 750 mg oral ciprofloxacin compared with 7 days prolonged treatment resulted in similar infectious complication outcomes in patients undergoing transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy. The use of antibiotics within the last 3 months increases the risk for post-transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy infectious complications.