Conventional Antibiotic Prophylaxis Versus Add-On 5 Days Levofloxacin Before Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL)

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a minimally invasive procedure for removal of large volume upper urinary tract stones. Although PCNL is effective and yielding high stone-free rates, complications rates range from 18.30% to 83% with sepsis has been reported in 0.3% to 7.6% of cases result in the most common cause of perioperative mortality in PCNL patients.

Urosepsis after PNL is an important and potentially catastrophic complication. The overall incidence of fever (25%), bacteremia (23%), endotoxemia (34%) and septicemic shock occurs in 0.3%-2.5% of patients. Urosepsis and shock result from the intravasation of bacteria or endotoxins into bloodstream, which in turn increases with prolonged surgery, degree of hydronephrosis, bacterial load in the renal pelvis, and presence of infected stones.

Charton et al., concluded that without antibiotic prophylaxis 35% of patient suffered urinary tract infection a post-PCNL, although preoperative urine showing no growth. In a prospective but nonrandomized assessment of PCNL patients receiving oral ciprofloxacin, intravenous ciprofloxacin, or no antimicrobial treatment found postoperative urinary tract infection to occur in 17%, 0%, and 40% of patients, respectively. Mariappan et al., stated that midstream urine (MSU) culture does not represent upper tract infection in patients with obstructing stones. Also, stone and pelvic urine cultures are better predictors of upper tract infection and urosepsis in such cases.

Antibiotic prophylaxis has been recommended (Level of evidence: IIb, III) for patients subjected to PCNL to avert these infectious complications, as profiled in an American Urological Association (AUA) Best Practice Policy Statement. They also recommend antibiotic prophylaxis before shock wave lithotripsy and ureteroscopy with high level (Level of evidence: Ia and Ib, respectively) due to presence of meta-analysis and large randomised controlled trial.

The optimal timing, dosing, and duration of a prophylactic antibiotic regimen for PCNL procedures has also been a point of discussion. The AUA best practice policy statement currently recommends that a one-time dose on the day of the procedure is sufficient. The EAU guidelines are less definitive in concluding that a short course is adequate but that the "length of time is to be determined." Mariappan and colleagues in a prospective non-randomised trial found that 52 patients who had dilated collecting systems, stone burden greater than 2 cm, and no confounding factors predisposing to UTIs who received a 1-week course of ciprofloxacin before PCNL had a 3-fold lower risk of postoperative UTI and SIRS than 46 patients who received standard perioperative antibiotics on the day of surgery.