USE OF CIPROFLOXACIN AS A PROPHYLACTIC AGENT IN URINARY-TRACT INFECTIONS IN RENAL-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

The most common form of bacterial infection in renal transplant recipi ents is urinary tract infection (UTI), and some studies have shown tha t prophylaxis can reduce this incidence. In the present investigation we evaluated 80 patients submitted to renal transplantation at the Ren al Transplant Unit of the University Hospital of Ribeirao Preto, SP. T he study was prospective, double blind and randomized. The patients we re divided into two groups, one receiving placebo and the other ciprof loxacin at the dose of 250 mg twice a day for the first 10 d and 250 m g/d for 6 months after transplantation. Of the 41 patients who receive d ciprofloxacin 28 completed the study, and of the 39 patients who rec eived placebo 30 completed the study. The largest number of UTI occurr ed in the placebo group, with a significant difference from the ciprof loxacin group during the first month after surgery (p<0.05). In the gr oup treated with ciprofloxacin, only 6/40 patients (15%) developed UTI , as opposed to 19/39 (48.7%) for the placebo group. The total number of infectious episodes was higher in the placebo group (26) than in th e ciprofloxacin group (12). The medication was well tolerated througho ut the study period.