title: Prostate biopsy in Central Europe: results of a survey of indication, patient preparation and biopsy technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We surveyed urologists in Austria, Germany and Switzerland regarding their standard approach to prostate biopsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants of Austrian and German urological meetings were asked to fill out a survey form; additionally, this was mailed to all Swiss urologists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  304 surveys are available for analysis. 97% of participants perform a biopsy if digital rectal examination is abnormal. 63% use 4 ng/ml PSA (prostate-specific antigen) as cut-off. Age-related reference ranges are used by 54%, free PSA by 57%. 22% use PSA density, 55% PSA velocity. Overall 61% require a written consent, with 85, 86 and 25% in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. 96% of the urologists prescribe a quinolone antibiotic with a wide range regarding the start and end of drug therapy. 77% offer some kind of anaesthesia. Periprostatic injection of a local anaesthetic drug is used by 36%, lidocaine gel by 27%. 91% perform the biopsies transrectally under ultrasound guidance. Digitally guided biopsies are used by 11%. Only 3 participants perform perineal biopsies. The mean number of cores per biopsy session is 9.2, the maximum number of cores is 15.3 as a mean. Participants will stop performing any further biopsies if the patient already had a mean of 3.5 biopsy sessions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of urologists in Central Europe prescribe a quinolone antibiotic and recommend some type of analgesia. The majority has abandoned the sextant technique and increases the number of cores in the case of rebiopsy. Biopsies are stopped after a mean of 3.5 sessions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology and Andrology, Paracelsus Medical Private University, Salzburger Landeskliniken, Salzburg, Austria. k.g.fink@salk.at
authors.forename: Klaus G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Ljiljana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paras
authors.forename: Nikolaus T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Schmeller
mesh_terms: D001317:Austria; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland