Sepsis and Systemic Infection Following Transrectal Prostate Biopsy: A Call for Developing Practices

Document Type : Letter to Editor

Author

Nephrology and Urology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

10.30491/hpr.2026.247706
Abstract
We wish to highlight a growing concern in urological practice about the increasing rates of sepsis and systemic infections following transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-PB). Despite being the traditional gold standard for prostate cancer diagnosis, the transrectal method is progressively associated with severe infectious complications, primarily driven by the global rise in antimicrobial resistance.

Keywords


1.  Pilatz A, Veeratterapillay R, Dimitropoulos K, Omar MI, Pradere B, Yuan Y, et al. European Association of Urology position paper on the prevention of infectious complications following prostate biopsy. Eur Urol. 2021;79(1):11-5. doi:10.1016/j.eururo.2020.10.019
2.     Bouzouita A, Rehaiem A, Saadi A, Zaghbib S, Chakroun M, Ayed H, et al. Antimicrobial prophylaxis protocol based on rectal swab culture before prostate biopsy to prevent infectious complications: a prospective randomized comparative study. Int Urol Nephrol. 2024;56(8):2495-502. doi:10.1007/s11255-024-03998-7
3.   Najjar S, Mirvald C, Danilov A, Labanaris A, Vlaicu AG, Giurca L, et al. Comparative analysis of diagnostic accuracy and complication rate of transperineal versus transrectal prostate biopsy in prostate cancer diagnosis. Cancers. 2025;17(6):1006. doi:10.3390/cancers17061006
4.   Delory T, Goujon A, Masson-Lecomte A, Arias P, Laurancon-Fretar A, Bercot B, Mongiat-Artus P, Molina JM, Lafaurie M. Fosfomycin-trometamol (FT) or fluoroquinolone (FQ) as single-dose prophylaxis for transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-PB): A prospective cohort study. Int J Infect Dis. 2021;102:269-74. doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2020.10.065