Effect of routine preop urine screening on postop outcomes

Editor's Note

Antimicrobial treatment of asymptomatic organisms identified in preoperative urine cultures was not associated with reductions in the risk for postoperative infections, including urinary tract infections (UTIs) and surgical site infections (SSIs), this study finds.

In this analysis of 68,265 patients in 109 Veterans Affairs hospitals who had cardiac, orthopedic, or vascular surgery, preoperative asymptomatic bacteriuria was associated with higher rates of positive postoperative urine cultures, and it was associated with higher 30-day SSIs in cardiac surgical patients.

However, preoperative antimicrobial treatment for asymptomatic bacteriuria was not associated with improvement in postoperative outcomes. The rates of SSIs, UTIs, and positive wound and urine culture results were the same in patients who were treated and untreated.

The findings provide evidence for discontinuing the practice of preoperative screening and treatment for asymptomatic bacteriuria, the researchers say.