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

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.

Bag and colleagues prospectively randomized 101 patients with greater than 2.5-cm kidney stones and/or hydronephrosis with sterile preoperative urine cultures to a 7-day course of nitrofurantoin versus no antibiotics before PCNL and found a statistically significant lower rate of postoperative SIRS (19% vs 49%), endotoxemia (18% vs 42%), positive result on kidney urine culture (0% vs 10%), and positive result on stone culture (8% vs 30%) in the arm receiving nitrofurantoin.

Although these two small series support a week of preoperative antibiotics before PCNL, larger, prospective, randomized studies are needed to better elucidate the risks and benefits of empiric antibiotics

• Levofloxacin (Drug), also known as Levofloxacin 500Mg: Levofloxacin 500Mg daily for 5 days
• Placebo (Drug), also known as placebo Oral Tablet: Placebo Oral Tablet daily for 5 days

Primary outcomes

• Upper urinary tract infection and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) after PCNL by Criteria for SIRS established by the American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine Consensus Conference [1 year]: SIRS if patient has Two or more of the 4 SIRS criteria

Secondary outcomes

• difference between culture and sensitivity of Preoperative urine (MSU) and intraoperative renal pelvic urine and extracted stone. [1 year]: Preoperative urine (MSU),intraoperative renal pelvic urine and extracted stone culture and sensitivity.

Sex: All, ages: 18 Years to any

Inclusion Criteria:

* Stones ≥ 2.5 cm and/or hydronephrosis
* Sterile mid urine stream

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients with a stent, nephrostomy tube or indwelling catheter
* Uncontrolled Diabetes mellitus
* Renal failure
* Fever before surgery
* Concomitant bladder stone or tumour
* Patients with active UTI
* Contralateral renal/ureteric stone

• Ahmed Shoma, MD, Study chair, Urology and Nephrology center
• Nasr Eltabey, MD, Study director, Urology and Nephrology center
• Mahmoud Laimon, Msc, Principal investigator, Urology and Nephrology center
• Muhamad Abdullateef, Msc, Principal investigator, Urology and Nephrology center