Oral ciprofloxacin as prophylaxis for optical urethrotomy

It is known that urethral strictures predispose to bacteriuria. We studied a series of patients undergoing optical urethrotomy to see if antibiotic prophylaxis was justified. Twenty-three patients were randomised to receive either no prophylaxis or a short peri-operative course of oral ciprofloxacin. Two patients with sterile pre-operative urine and two patients with pre-operative bacteriuria given no prophylaxis had post-operative bacteriuria, whereas all patients given ciprofloxacin had sterile urine after operation. Antibiotic prophylaxis may be indicated in patients undergoing optical urethrotomy.