[Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis in radical retropubic prostatectomy: a randomised pilot study of perioperative and postoperative administration].

PURPOSE: A standard protocol for perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis in radical retropubic prostatectomy has not been established until now. The present pilot study compared the perioperative single-dose of piperacillin/tazobactam to the administration of ciprofloxacin or cotrimoxazol for 5 days with regard to postoperative infections. For the first time these antibiotic regimes were described in radical retropubic prostatectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The patients were divided into three groups, each consisting of 17 patients: group 1: a single-dose of piperacillin / tazobactam 4.5 g i. v., group 2: ciprofloxacin 500 mg or cotrimoxazol 960 mg i. v. / p. o. and group 3: varying administration and duration of different kinds of antibiotics as control group. The basic characteristics of the patients such as age, body-mass-index, risk factors, diseases, former surgeries and medication were similar between all three groups. Also there were no significant differences in intraoperative parameters such as operation time, blood loss and other postoperative complications. RESULTS: The piperacillin / tazobactam group showed a significantly lower body temperature on postoperative days (POD) 1-3. The laboratory values were not significantly different among the groups, except the piperacillin / tazobactam group showed a significantly lower CRP level on POD 1-3 than group 3. All antibiotic regimes could afford an efficient protection: None of the patients died and there were no cases of serious consequences such as pneumonia, urosepsis or bacteriuria. Although not statistically significant, the piperacillin / tazobactam group showed better clinical outcomes: here the length of hospitalisation was two days less than in the other groups, no cases of wound infection occurred, the antimicrobial resistance rates were lower and fewer patients were treated with antibiotics in the postoperative course. CONCLUSIONS: Comparable to similar studies with a larger number of patients our pilot study demonstrated, although statistically not significant, better clinical results overall. We therefore conclude that a single-dose of piperacillin / tazobactam appears to be an efficient antibiotic prophylaxis in radical retropubic prostatectomy and even in some clinical parameters piperacillin / tazobactam seems to be equivalent or better than the usual 5-day administration of antimicrobial prophylaxis.