ABSTRACT
To study the incidence and possible sources of post-cystoscopy infection. Two hundred patients [140 males and 60 females] were studied during the period from April 1998 and December 1998. They underwent diagnostic cystoscopy in the Urology Department [144] and in the Outpatient Clinic of the Main University Hospital [56], Alexandria Faculty of Medicine. Urine samples were collected pre [200] and post-cystoscopy [123] in the first follow up visit within a week. In addition, swabs from the cystoscope, samples from the Cidex, rinsing water, lubricant gel and glycine were cultured .Urine samples were infected in 48.5% of cases prior to cystoscopy and in 69.9% of cases after cystoscopy. These included all the catheterized patients, 30% and 16.26% respectively. With the exclusion of the catheterized patients, infection rates were 26.43% and 64.08% respectively. Comparing the isolates cultured in both instances, 61.02% of patients who were followed caught new isolate infection. Cystoscopes were infected in 21.5% of occasions. Samples taken from Cidex, rinsing water, lubricant gel and glycine were sterile in only 38.73%, 50.79%, 17.46% and in 4.76% of cases respectively. The infection may be less likely to happen if the procedure was carried early in the day, during the first day of Cidex preparation and using the lubricant gel tube for the first time. The reported post-cystoscopy infection rate is unacceptably high. Every effort has to be done to overcome this problem. Several recommendations are proposed. The added expenses are expected to be much less than that caused by infection caused in the cystoscopy room