Risk of infection in patients undergoing urologic surgery based on the presence of asymptomatic bacteriuria: A prospective study

Background Treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is recommended in pregnant women and prior to urologic procedures with anticipated mucosal disruption. However, there is still insufficient evidence of the usefulness of treating ASB prior to urologic procedures. Therefore, the aim of this study was to ascertain the risk of infections in patients undergoing urologic surgery based on the presence of ASB. Methods We conducted a cohort study among patients undergoing urologic surgery at a single center located in Medellin, Colombia. All patients were screened for ASB prior to their procedures. Patients were evaluated for the development of any postoperative infectious complications for up to 30 days after the procedure. Results A total of 149 patients were included in this cohort. Incidence of ASB was 14.8%. Thirteen patients (8.72%) developed infectious complications: 3 (13.64%) with ASB and 10 (7.87%) without ABS. Factors associated with postoperative infectious complications included urologic cancers (hazard ratio [HR], 5.26; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.24-22.37), urologic interventions in the preceding 3 months (HR, 3.72; 95% CI, 1.02-13.51), and use of antibiotics 3 months prior to surgery (HR, 3.83; 95% CI, 1.01-15.49). Presence of ASB was not associated with postsurgical infectious complications (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.26-3.96). Conclusions There was no association between ASB and postoperative infectious complications. There were other factors associated with infectious complications, such as urologic cancer, previous history of urologic manipulation, and antibiotic use.