Antimicrobial Prophylaxis for Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: Contemporary Practice Patterns

Background: Updated in 2019, the American Urological Association's (AUA) Best Practice Statement on Urologic Procedures and Antimicrobial Prophylaxis outlines prophylaxis for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Recent studies have challenged these recommendations. We hypothesized that endourologists do not routinely follow the AUA's statement on antibiotic use during PCNL and assessed their prescribing patterns. Methods: A 24-question survey was distributed to members of the Endourological Society. The primary outcome was adherence to the AUA's recommendations. Two multiple logistic regression analyses were performed with demographics and antibiotic preference as predictors of following the AUA. Results: A total of 51.4% of endourologists follow the AUA Best Practice Statement for antimicrobial prophylaxis of uncomplicated PCNL. No demographic data were predictive of following the AUA. 90.9% and 83.6% reported they have “never” used the first-line recommendation options of metronidazole and aztreonam, respectively. Preferred antibiotics were cephalosporins (uncomplicated 60%, complicated 52.6%), fluoroquinolones (13.3%, 7.2%), aminoglycosides (12.7%, 17.8%), penicillins (7.9%, 11.2%), carbapenems (0.6%, 0.7%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (2.4%, 5.9%), fosfomycin (0.6%, 0.7%), nitrofurantoin (2.4%, 2.6%), aztreonam (0%, 0.7%), and clindamycin (0%, 0.7%). For uncomplicated PCNL, 63.1% prescribe ≤24 hours of perioperative antibiotics. For complicated PCNL, 16.2% prescribe ≤24 hours of perioperative antibiotics, while 20.4% begin antibiotics 7 or more days prior. Conclusions: Nearly half of respondents do not follow the AUA's recommendations for antibiotic choice for PCNL. Few endourologists prescribe 7 days of preoperative antibiotics for complicated PCNL despite supporting data. Metronidazole and aztreonam are rarely used as a first-line antibiotic choice for PCNL and their roles needs to be further evaluated as first-line prophylaxis recommendations. Updates on antibiotic recommendations for PCNL are needed based on current literature, antimicrobial stewardship, and contemporary practice patterns.