A SINGLE oral dose of antimicrobial prophylaxis is reasonable in 12-core transurethral ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsies, researchers have concluded.
In a study by Kamil Cam, MD, and collaborators at Duzce University School of Medicine in Duzce, Turkey, 400 patients who underwent 12-core TRUS-guided prostate biopsies were randomly assigned to one of three groups based on their antibiotic prophylaxis regimen. One group of 139 patients received 1 g of IM ceftriaxone, another group of 131 patients received a three-day course of oral ciprofloxacin, and the third group of 130 patients received a single oral 500-mg dose of ciprofloxacin. Urine cultures were obtained prior to biopsy and on the second day following biopsy. Overall, only seven patients (1.8%) had positive urine cultures after biopsy, with no differences observed among the three groups, Dr. Cam's team reported in the International Journal of Urology (2008; published online ahead of print).
In addition, the investigators found no significant difference in morbidity rates among the groups. Major complications requiring hospitalization developed in only eight patients (2%), the investigators reported.