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First page of Perioperative and Periinterventional Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Urology: Key Recommendations from the German Interdisciplinary AWMF S3 Clinical Practice Guideline

Perioperative and periinterventional antibiotic prophylaxis remains fundamental to infection prevention in surgical and interventional urology, yet its overuse and unjustified prolongation continue to drive antimicrobial resistance and expose patients to avoidable harm. The newly finalized German interdisciplinary AWMF S3 Clinical Practice Guideline establishes an evidence-based, risk-adapted, and stewardship-oriented framework that redefines antibiotic prophylaxis as a rigorously justified and time-limited intervention. This manuscript distills the urology-specific recommendations and contrasts them with the 2025 EAU Guidelines on Urological Infections, emphasizing alignment, procedural nuance, and practical relevance. The AWMF S3 framework mandates strict indication, intravenous administration 30 to 60 minutes before incision, single-dose prophylaxis for most clean and clean-contaminated procedures, and redosing only when pharmacokinetically warranted, with discontinuation at wound closure as a universal standard. Within urology, resistance-adapted prophylaxis with rectal antisepsis is recommended for transrectal prostate biopsy, whereas transperineal biopsy may be safely performed without antibiotics in low-risk patients with sterile urine and proper antisepsis. Prophylaxis confers no consistent benefit for ureterorenoscopy or cystoscopy in sterile urine, but remains indicated for percutaneous nephrolithotomy, transurethral resection of the prostate, and major open or laparoscopic procedures such as radical prostatectomy and cystectomy, where broad-spectrum single-dose coverage with intraoperative redosing may be required in prolonged surgery. Across all procedures, the AWMF S3 and EAU 2025 recommendations show high concordance, differing primarily in granularity and evidence grading. A risk-adapted, single-dose strategy unites patient safety with antimicrobial stewardship and positions urology as a model discipline for rational, quality-assured infection prevention in modern surgery.

Journal Section:
Guidelines
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S. Karger AG, Basel
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2026