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Stable post-TRUS biopsy sepsis rates and antibiotic resistance over 5 years in patients from Newcastle, New South Wales

George Mirmilstein and John Ferguson
Med J Aust 2015; 202 (5): . || doi: 10.5694/mja14.01571
Published online: 16 March 2015

To the Editor: Sepsis after transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy is a potentially serious complication. Antibiotic prophylaxis reduces the risk of sepsis; however, practices are highly variable among urologists.


  • John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, NSW.


Correspondence: gmirmilstein@gmail.com

Acknowledgements: 

We thank Alexander Grant, Philip Sprott, James Patterson, Terrence Doyle, Paul Ainsworth, Peter Chong, Gias Ahmed, Martin White and Alison Blatt for their generous contribution to the data used in this audit.

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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  • 2. Wagenlehner FM, van Oostrum E, Tenke P, et al. Infective complications after prostate biopsy: outcome of the Global Prevalence Study of Infections in Urology (GPIU) 2010 and 2011, a prospective multinational multicentre prostate biopsy study. Eur Urol 2013; 63: 521-527.
  • 3. Williamson DA, Roberts SA, Paterson DL, et al. Escherichia coli bloodstream infection after transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy: implications of fluoroquinolone-resistant sequence type 131 as a major causative pathogen. Clin Infect Dis 2012; 54: 1406-1412.
  • 4. Taylor AK, Zembower TR, Nadler RB, et al. Targeted antimicrobial prophylaxis using rectal swab cultures in men undergoing transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy is associated with reduced incidence of postoperative infectious complications and cost of care. J Urol 2012; 187: 1275-1279.
  • 5. Taylor S, Margolick J, Abughosh Z, et al. Ciprofloxacin resistance in the faecal carriage of patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy. BJU Int 2013; 111: 946-953.

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