Morbidity of urodynamic testing in patients with spinal cord injury: Is antibiotic prophylaxis necessary?

Abstract

Study Design: Prospective, non-randomized study. Objectives: To assess the incidence of urinary tract infection after urodynamics in patients with spinal cord injury. Setting: Outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Germany. Methods: Urinary tract infection and clinical symptoms in 109 consecutive outpatients with spinal cord injury following urodynamic evaluation were studied. Results: Data from 72 patients were evaluable. Of these, seven patients (9.7%) developed a significant urinary tract infection. Five of these were symptomatic. Pre-existing asymptomatic bacteriuria was not associated with a higher risk for post-interventional infection. The technique of the bladder management did not correlate with urinary tract infection rates. Conclusion: In this study, symptomatic urinary tract infections after cystometry were not infrequent. Therefore, it seems that antibiotic prophylaxis cannot be omitted in patients with spinal cord injury undergoing urodynamic investigation. © 2007 International Spinal Cord Society All rights reserved.