[Analysis of urinary infection in the 1st month after kidney transplantation. Value of short prophylaxis with norfloxacin].

Urinary tract infection is the most common complication in the first month after renal transplant, and it is associated with rejection and relapses. In addition, it is the leading cause of gram negative bacilli bacteremia. In a program of continuous epidemiological surveillance from March 1979 to October 1988, we evaluated the urinary tract infections in the first month after renal transplant, considering the following variables: duration of bladder catheterization, urologic complications, type of immunosuppression and preoperative and postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. There were no differences between the development of urinary tract infections in relation with the duration of bladder catheterization (7 vs 4 days), the reduction of urologic complications (21 vs 6%), or with the introduction of cyclosporin to the conventional immunosuppressive regimen. However, when the group of 46 patients receiving postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis (norfloxacin 800 mg/day every 12 h during the time of vesical catheterization less than or equal to 4 days) was compared with the 147 without postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis, the rate of urinary tract infection in the first month was 8.7% vs 32.8%, respectively (p less than 0.01). Short-term prophylaxis with norfloxacin was a useful regimen, with good oral tolerance and a similar therapeutic efficacy as the sustained regimens reported in the literature.