Mycoplasma in urine and blood following catheterisation of patients undergoing vascular surgery.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this investigation was to determine if mycoplasmas enter the bloodstream after urinary tract catheterisation in patients undergoing vascular surgery in order to evaluate the efficiency of the routine prophylactic antibiotic treatment.


METHODS
Prospective study.


METHODS
A total of 100 patients (63 men and 37 women) undergoing elective vascular surgery had urine and blood cultures performed for mycoplasmas. Blood cultures were taken preoperatively after urinary tract catheterisation and the urine was collected during catheterisation. The median age of the patients was 67 years (range 42-87).


RESULTS
A total of 12 (12%), 5 men and 7 women, had a positive urine culture for mycoplasmas (One patient had Mycoplasma hominis and 11 had Ureaplasma urealyticum isolated). Their median age was 60 years (range 42-76). No blood cultures were positive for Mycoplasma.


CONCLUSIONS
Mycoplasmas do not enter the blood-stream after catheterization in sufficient amounts and sufficiently often to be detected by blood-cultures in this small patient sample. The number of vascular patients harbouring mycoplasmas in the urine was low and we found no indication for changes in the prophylactic antibiotic treatment based on these findings.
Levi
N
N
Department of Vascular Surgery, Rigshospitalet University Hospital of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Eiberg
J
J
Skov Jensen
J
J
Prag
J
J
Jørgensen
J
J
Schroeder
T V
TV
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002444:Cefuroxime / Q000494:pharmacology; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D019535:Mycoplasma hominis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016990:Ureaplasma urealyticum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures
D002511:Cephalosporins; D002444:Cefuroxime