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Patients undergoing radical prostatectomy require short-term catheterization to allow bladder emptying while the urethra heals. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) often develop around the time of catheter removal. Some urologists prescribe prophylactic antibiotics at catheter removal to prevent this complication, but does this strategy work?
To address this question, investigators at a New York City hospital retrospectively analyzed the incidence of UTIs after laparoscopic radical prostatectomies performed by two surgeons: one who routinely gave patients a 3-day course of ciprofloxacin (500 mg twice daily) starting the day before catheter removal and one who did not. Patients who received postoperative antibiotics for any other reason were excl…