Bacteriology of Branched Renal Calculi and Accompanying Urinary Tract Infection

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The bacteriology of apparently infected renal calculi and accompanying urinary tract infections were determined and the potential clinical value of the culture results assessed. Branched renal calculi (22) from 16 patients were cultured. Fifteen calculi were infected with .gtoreq. 1 urease-producing gram-negative enteric bacterium, 2 were infected with a urease-producing bacterium and a non-urease-producing organism and 5 were sterile. Immersion of infected stones in antimicrobial solutions before culture reduced or eliminated surface bacteria but usually did not eradicate bacteria within the stone. The bacteriology of a stone or stones could be predicted on the basis of available urine culture results in only 2 of the 16 cases. Evidently, branched renal calculi associated with bacteriuria usually are infected; documentation of infection and identification of the infecting organism may require culture of the stone.