Incidence of bacteremia and bacteriuria in patients with non-infection-related urinary stones undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

In a prospective pilot study, 26 patients with non-infection-related renal or ureteric stones and sterile urine were examined for evidence of bacteriuria and bacteremia following extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL). Blood samples were obtained for aerobic and anaerobic bacterial culture at the end of, and 1 hour after, the SWL procedure. Urine cultures were performed 24 hours before and after treatment. Bacteremia was recorded in 7.7% of the patients immediately after SWL but in no patient at 1 hour after treatment. None of the patients manifested significant bacteriuria or post-SWL fever. These findings support the contention that, provided the urine is sterile and a negative history of urosepsis is available, antibiotic prophylaxis is unnecessary in patients with non-infected renal stones submitted to SWL treatment.