Risk factors for postoperative infectious complications following percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a prospective clinical study

The aim of the study was to assess the preoperative and intraoperative potential risk factors for infectious complications after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). A total of 303 patients who underwent PCNL for renal stones were included in the recent study. A detailed history including past renal surgery, nephrostomy insertion and recurrent urinary infection were obtained from all patients. Preoperative urine culture, renal pelvic urine culture and stone culture were obtained from all patients. The intraoperative data were prospectively noted. All patients were followed up postoperatively for signs of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis. In 83 (27.4 %) of the patients, SIRS was observed and of these patients 23 (7.6 %) were diagnosed as sepsis. Escherichia coli was the most common organism detected in cultures, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus and Klebsiella spp. in all patients. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, presence of infection stone, stone burden and recurrent urinary tract infection were associated with both SIRS and sepsis development. Presence of infection stone, stone burden ≥800 mm² and recurrent urinary tract infection can be identified as independent predictors for the development of SIRS and sepsis.