Assessment of the morbidity and value of prophylactic cephazolin sodium in urinary tract instrumentation in out-patients.

A pilot study showed that following urinary tract endoscopy in out-patients there is a significant incidence of subsequent rigor and general practitioner call-out. A double-blind study was carried out in 690 consecutive patients to assess the effectiveness of prophylactic doses (1 g) of cephazolin, given intravenously or intramuscularly at the time of the procedure, compared with no treatmemnt or placebo. The results, assessed from replies to a questionnaire, showed that whereas cephazolin given intravenously did not affect the incidence of subsequent rigor there was a significant reduction compared with controls when the antibiotic was given in the same dose intramuscularly.