Ceftriaxone in the prevention of postoperative infection in patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate.

One hundred twenty-nine patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate were treated preoperatively with either 1 g of ceftriaxone or placebo in a double-blind, randomized study. Sixty-three patients received placebo and 66 received ceftriaxone. Postoperative urinary tract infections developed in eight placebo-treated patients, for a 12.7 percent failure rate, compared with two ceftriaxone-treated patients, for a 3 percent failure rate. The difference in rates of infection was statistically significant (p less than 0.05). No adverse effects due to treatment were noted. The high rate of postoperative infection in the placebo-treated group indicates that maintenance of sterility during and after this operative procedure is a problem. A single 1 g prophylactic preoperative dose of ceftriaxone was safe and efficacious in reducing the rate of postoperative infection after transurethral resection of the prostate.