Fever after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for patients with upper urinary tract calculi associated with bacteriuria before treatment.

The present study was carried out to determine the relationship between fever (> or = 38 degrees C) after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and the history of bacteriuria before ESWL. The subjects of this study comprised 958 patients. Significant bacteriuria before ESWL was found in 75 patients. These patients were treated with antibiotics and underwent ESWL after bacteriuria disappeared. Despite treatment with antibiotics, the patients with bacteriuria before ESWL had a significantly higher incidence of fever after ESWL than those without bacteriuria. Among the 14 patients whose high fever persisted after ESWL, the patients with bacteriuria included 7 (50%) with stones > 20 mm in size. The patients with stones > 20 mm and bacteriuria before ESWL had a high risk of persistent high fever after ESWL.