Background and Aim: In spite of proposed causes of fever of urological endoscopy such as increased caulis pressure, bacteraemia and preproduced endotoxins, urinary infection and fever have not been studied after endoscopy. This research was aimed to study the frequency of fever after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) and the contributing factors.
Materials and Methods: In a cross- sectional study from September 2003 to March 2004 all consecutive patients (217) with nephrolithiasis treated with PNL in Labbafinegad Specialized Urology Center were studied. The patients were studied for fever and its contributory factors. Data were analyzed by SPSS using Chi-Square, t, Mann Whitney, logistic regression and multi & univariant analysis. P≤0.05 was considered as the statistical significance.
Results: The frequency of fever after PNL was 25.8% (n=56). In 62.2% of cases (n=135), no prophylactic antibiotics had been administered. Significant relationships were observed between fever and female sex (P=0.02), positive post-surgical urine culture (P=0.02), nephrostomy tube insertion at the end of operation (P=0.04). Other variables did not prove to have significant statistical relationships with fever. In logistic regression female sex, nephrostomy tube insertion and month of surgery were independently related to postoperative fever.
Conclusion: Although considerable proportion of our patients had not received prophylactic antibiotics, the rate of post PNL fever was not higher than the prevailing literature. Female sex and nephrostomy tube had a much higher risk for post surgical fever probably due to harboring bacteria.