Multi-Drug–Resistant Bacteremia After Transrectal Ultrasound Guided Prostate Biopsies in Hospital Employees and Their Relatives
Received 28 January 2008; accepted 29 January 2008. published online 27 March 2008.
Objectives
To evaluate the incidence of multi-drug–resistant (MDR) organisms causing bacteremia in hospital employees and their relatives after transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate biopsies.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed all TRUS-guided prostate biopsies between November 2006 and November 2007. Of the 378 patients, we identified 4 cases of post-procedure bacteremia requiring hospital admission. All 4 of these patients had MDR organisms causing bacteremia. These patients were then contacted to determine whether they or their relatives were hospital employees.
Results
We identified 4 patients among a total of 378 who developed MDR bacteremia after TRUS prostate biopsy (1.06%). Three of these patients or their relatives were hospital employees (75%). All 3 of these patients had bacteremia caused by Escherichia coli that was resistant to ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, the perioperative antibiotic given.
Conclusions
In addition to the standard TRUS biopsy preoperative questions it is beneficial to ask patients whether they are hospital employees or live in the same household as hospital employees. This way, if patients return postoperatively with fever and chills, there is a higher index of suspicion that bacteremia may be caused by MDR organisms and empiric broad spectrum parenteral antibiotics can be started immediately.
Department of Urology, Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
Reprint requests: Dr. Ciamack Kamdar, Department of Urology, Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, One Brookdale Plaza, Suite 5C4, Brooklyn, NY 11212.
ABSTRACT