The effect of intravesically applied antibiotic solution in the prophylaxis of infectious complications of renal transplantation

Vesico-ureteric reflux in children and young people undergoing kidney transplantation

Vesico-ureteric reflux (VUR) into transplanted kidneys in children and young people is a common occurrence, found in 19 to 60% of those who had an anti-reflux procedure and up to 79% in the absence of such a procedure. While VUR is unlikely to be of concern without evidence of symptomatic urinary tract infections, less certainty exists regarding outcomes when the VUR is associated with urinary tract infection (UTI) and transplant pyelonephritis. Issues explored will include additional risk factors that might predispose to UTI, any effect of pyelonephritis on acute and long-term kidney allograft function and practical strategies that may reduce the prevalence of infection.

Perioperative antibiotics for preventing post-surgical site infections in solid organ transplant recipients

BACKGROUND

Solid organ transplant recipients are at high risk for infections due to the complexity of surgical procedures combined with the impact of immunosuppression. No consensus exists on the role of antibiotics for surgical site infections in solid organ transplant recipients.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the benefits and harms of prophylactic antimicrobial agents for preventing surgical site infections in solid organ transplant recipients.

SEARCH METHODS

The Cochrane Kidney and Transplant Register of Studies was searched up to 21 April 2020 through contact with the Information Specialist using search terms relevant to this review. Studies in the Register are identified through searches of CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE, conference proceedings, the International Clinical Trials Register (ICTRP) Search Portal, and ClinicalTrials.gov.

SELECTION CRITERIA

All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs in any language assessing prophylactic antibiotics in preventing surgical site infections in solid organ transplant recipients at any time point after transplantation.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors independently determined study eligibility, assessed quality, and extracted data. Primary outcomes were surgical site infections and antimicrobial resistance. Other outcomes included urinary tract infections, pneumonias and septicaemia, death (any cause), graft loss, graft rejection, graft function, adverse reactions to antimicrobial agents, and outcomes identified by the Standardised Outcomes of Nephrology Group (SONG), specifically graft health, cardiovascular disease, cancer and life participation. Summary effect estimates were obtained using a random-effects model and results were expressed as risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The quality of the evidence was assessed using the risk of bias and the GRADE approach.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified eight eligible studies (718 randomised participants). Overall, five studies (248 randomised participants) compared antibiotics versus no antibiotics, and three studies (470 randomised participants) compared extended duration versus short duration antibiotics. Risk of bias was assessed as high for performance bias (eight studies), detection bias (eight studies) and attrition bias (two studies). It is uncertain whether antibiotics reduce the incidence of surgical site infections as the certainty of the evidence has been assessed as very low (RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.85; 5 studies, 226 participants; I² = 25%). The certainty of the evidence was very low for all other reported outcomes (death, graft loss, and other infections). It is uncertain whether extended duration antibiotics reduces the incidence of surgical site infections in either solid organ transplant recipients (RR 1.19, 95% CI 0.58 to 2.48; 2 studies, 302 participants; I² = 0%) or kidney-only transplant recipients (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.05 to 5.48; 1 study, 205 participants) as the certainty of the evidence has been assessed as very low. The certainty of the evidence was very low for all other reported outcomes (death, graft loss, and other infections). None of the eight included studies evaluated antimicrobial agent adverse reactions, graft health, cardiovascular disease, cancer, life participation, biochemical and haematological parameters, intervention cost, hospitalisation length, or overall hospitalisation costs.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Due to methodological limitations, risk of bias and significant heterogeneity, the current evidence for the use of prophylactic perioperative antibiotics in transplantation is of very low quality. Further high quality, adequately powered RCTs would help better inform clinical practice.

Antibiotics for asymptomatic bacteriuria in kidney transplant recipients

BACKGROUND

Asymptomatic bacteriuria, defined as bacteriuria without signs or symptoms of urinary tract infection (UTI), occurs in 17% to 51% of kidney transplant recipients and is thought to increase the risk for a subsequent UTI. No consensus exists on the role of antibiotics for asymptomatic bacteriuria in kidney transplantation.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the benefits and harms of treating asymptomatic bacteriuria in kidney transplant recipients with antimicrobial agents to prevent symptomatic UTI, all-cause mortality and the indirect effects of UTI (acute rejection, graft loss, worsening of graft function).

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Kidney and Transplant Register of Studies up to 1 September 2017 through contact with the Information Specialist using search terms relevant to this review. Studies in the Register are identified through searches of CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE, conference proceedings, the International Clinical Trials Register (ICTRP) Search Portal, and ClinicalTrials.gov.

SELECTION CRITERIA

All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs in any language assessing treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria in kidney transplant recipients at any time-point after transplantation.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors independently determined study eligibility, assessed quality and extracted data. Primary outcomes were incidence of symptomatic UTI and incidence of antimicrobial resistance. Other outcomes included incidences of all-cause mortality, graft loss, graft rejection, graft function, hospitalisation for UTI, adverse reactions to antimicrobial agents and relapse or persistence of asymptomatic bacteriuria. We expressed dichotomous outcomes as absolute risk difference (RD) or risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and continuous data as mean differences (MD) with 95% CI. Data were pooled using the random effects model.

MAIN RESULTS

We included two studies (212 participants) comparing antibiotics versus no treatment, and identified three on-going studies. Overall, incidence of symptomatic UTI varied between 19% and 31% in the groups not treated for asymptomatic bacteriuria. Antibiotic treatment had uncertain effects on preventing symptomatic UTI (2 studies, 200 participants: RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.51 to 1.45). Risk for selecting multidrug-resistant organisms was uncertain with antibiotic treatment (1 study, 112 participants: RR 1.21, 95% CI 0.60 to 2.41). Persistence of asymptomatic bacteriuria was high regardless of treatment. Antibiotics also have uncertain effects on other important patient and graft outcomes, for instance on all-cause mortality (1 study, 112 participants: RR 2.23, 95% CI 0.21 to 23.86), graft loss (1 study, 112 participants: RR 1.11, 95% CI 0.07 to 17.36), acute rejection (1 study, 112 participants: RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.44 to 1.97), hospitalisation for UTI (1 study, 112 participants: RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.13 to 4.27), graft function (2 studies, 200 participants, MD in serum creatinine concentration -0.06 mg/dL, 95% CI -0.19 to 0.08) and adverse reactions (1 study, 112 participants: no severe adverse event attributable to the antibiotic treatment). Evidence quality was low for all outcomes.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Currently, there is insufficient evidence to support routinely treating kidney transplant recipients with antibiotics in case of asymptomatic bacteriuria after transplantation, but data are scarce. Further studies assessing routine antibiotic treatment would inform practice and we await the results of three ongoing randomised studies, which may help resolve existing uncertainties.

Safety of Gentamicin Bladder Irrigations in Complex Urological Cases

PURPOSE

Recurrent urinary tract infections are common in complex pediatric urological cases, particularly those requiring clean intermittent catheterization. At our institution gentamicin bladder irrigations have been used for antimicrobial prophylaxis and to treat symptomatic bacteriuria, particularly when the infection does not involve the upper urinary tract. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety of this therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective study was performed of all children treated with gentamicin bladder irrigations from 1999 to 2004. The dose was 14 mg gentamicin in 30 ml saline instilled via catheter once or twice daily. Serum creatinine and random gentamicin levels were obtained according to a protocol based on risk of gentamicin toxicity. Patient demographics, laboratory results and outcomes were abstracted from the medical records.

RESULTS

A total of 80 patients (38 males and 42 females) were identified. Median patient age was 10 years and median duration of treatment was 90 days. No patient had detectable serum gentamicin levels greater than 0.4 mg/dl. Small increases in serum creatinine were seen in 3 patients, all of whom had chronic renal insufficiency. A total of 21 patients (26%) had breakthrough UTIs, of which 5 (24%) were gentamicin resistant. No adverse events were documented.

CONCLUSIONS

Gentamicin bladder irrigations are a helpful adjunct in the management of complex pediatric urological cases involving recurrent symptomatic bacteriuria. We no longer require intensive laboratory monitoring of low risk patients at our institution.

Intravesical instillation of gentamicin sulfate: in vitro, rat, canine, and human studies

OBJECTIVE

Intravesical instillation of gentamicin sulfate has been used empirically as prophylaxis and to treat bacilluria in spinal-cord-injured patients undergoing clean intermittent catheterization. To assess the risks of absorption and the effects of storage conditions on antimicrobial potency, a series of studies were conducted.

METHODS

Four studies were carried out: (1) An infected fulgurated rat bladder model was created to determine the effects of inflammation and infection on absorption. (2) A canine model with bilateral vesicoureteral reflux and elevated bladder pressures (> 40 cmH2O) assessed the effects of reflux and storage pressure. (3) The effects in patients with associated conditions including renal transplantation, myelomeningocele, vesicoureteral reflux, and bladder augmentation, were analyzed. (4) To determine the effects of storage conditions, solutions of gentamicin sulfate (480 mg gentamicin sulfate in 1 L 0.9% NaCl) were made that controlled for pH, storage temperature, and duration.

RESULTS

(1) Increased absorption was found in 43 percent of rat serum samples. (2) None of the dogs demonstrated measurable absorption. (3) None of the patients likewise had measurable absorption. (4) All solutions were equally potent when tested against a panel of common urinary pathogens. Storage up to two months at room temperature without alkalinization had no effect on potency.

CONCLUSIONS

Instilled intravesical gentamicin sulfate has a low risk of absorption and is highly effective. Severe bladder inflammation can increase transvesical absorption. It has prolonged stability without special storage conditions and should be considered as a route of prophylaxis in patients who perform intermittent catheterization.