Role of short-term antibiotic therapy at the moment of catheter removal after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of short-term antibiotic therapy (ABT) in preventing urinary tract infection (UTI) after catheter removal following laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP).

METHODS: 729 consecutive patients underwent LRP by one of two surgeons. One surgeon systematically prescribed a 3-day course of ABT (ciprofloxacin) starting the day before catheter removal; the other surgeon did not. The groups were compared for the incidence of symptomatic UTI occurring within 6 weeks after catheter removal.

RESULTS: ABT was given to 261 of 713 patients (37%), while the remaining 452 patients (63%) did not receive ABT. After catheter removal, UTI was observed less frequently among patients receiving ABT: 3.1 vs. 7.3% in those not receiving ABT (p = 0.019). A number needed to treat to prevent 1 UTI is 24. Hospital readmission for febrile UTI was observed only in patients who did not receive ABT (n = 5, 1.1 vs. 0%, p = 0.16). One would need to prescribe ABT for 91 LRP patients to prevent 1 case of febrile UTI.

CONCLUSIONS: ABT at the time of catheter removal reduced the risk of postoperative UTI after LRP. One would need to prescribe ABT to 24 patients to prevent 1 case of UTI.