Management of urinary tract infections in renal transplant recipients

Abstract

The most frequent infectious complication after renal transplantation is urinary tract infection (UTI). This article deals with antimicrobial prophylaxis, treatment of UTIs, and the management of asymptomatic bacteriuria in renal transplant recipients. The incidence of UTIs in renal transplant recipients was 26∼58%. UTI occurred most frequently during the first year after transplantation. Female recipients had significantly more UTIs than male recipients. There was no difference in the incidence of UTI between recipients receiving pig-tail catheters as ureteral stents and those who did not. Age had no influence on the incidence of UTI. The majority of organisms cultured were gram-negative, with approximately 1/3 being Escherichia coli and 1/5 being Enterococcus and Klebsiella/Enterobacter. UTI had no effect on the number of rejections, or on the graft and patient survival. No significant difference was found in graft and patient survival rates between those patients who had UTI and those who did not.