CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POSTOPERATIVE FEBRILE URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS AFTER URETEROSCOPIC LITHOTRIPSY IN DIABETICS: IMPACT OF GLYCEMIC CONTROL

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URS) is the current standard choice of treatment for both ureteral and adequate renal stones. Although it is known to be a safe procedure, postoperative febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) is not rare. Especially in diabetic patients, rate of urinary tract infection is higher. Therefore, we aimed to describe the risk factors for UTI following URS in diabetics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2017 and April 2019, 546 patients who underwent ureteroscopic lithotripsy for ureteral and/or renal stones were included. A matched-pair analysis was performed to compare postoperative UTI rates between diabetics and nondiabetics. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records including age, gender, BMI, comorbidities, UTI history, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), operating time, stone size and hounsfield unit (HU), preoperative hydronephrosis, ureteroscopic methods and ureteral stenting. Logistic regression analysis was done to determine the risk factors for postoperative UTI in diabetics. RESULTS: In diabetic patients rate of postoperative UTI was 29% (13/45). After matched-pair analysis within the group of non-diabetics, incidence was 11% (5/44) (p=0.04). In univariate analysis, preoperative ureteral stent, UTI history and HbA1c level were the risk factors for UTI after URS in diabetics. UTI history and HbA1c level were the independent risk factors for developing postoperative UTI in diabetic patients. HbA1c threshold 6.9% afforded 75% sensitivity and 67% specificity for predicting postoperative UTI in diabetics. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetic patients are under greater risk to develop postoperative UTI following URS. Those patients with UTI history and HbA1c level higher than 6.9% must be followed carefully.