BACTEREMIA FOLLOWING ESWL-TREATMENT

An increasing incidence of bacterial endocarditis has been observed du ring the last years. One explanation for this fact is the expansion of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in diverse medical disciplines. In a clinical study performed on 49 consecutive patients receiving ex tracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) a rate of 14.3% bacteremia was detected during ESWL. The bacterial spectrum consisted of: gram-po sitive cocci, gram-negative cocci, Proteus mirabilis, Bacteroides capi llosus. On principle, these results do not call for an antibiotic prop hylaxis. Nevertheless, according to the recommendations of the America n Heart Association and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Herz- und Kreisl aufforschung, patients with a cardiac risk predisposing to bacterial e ndocarditis must receive perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis.