After routine cleansing enemas 80 patients were randomized to undergo irrigation of the rectal vault with either povidone-iodine or saline. A transrectal prostatic needle biopsy then was performed. Antimicrobials were not used before biopsy and were only ordered after biopsy if fever developed or a positive urine culture was obtained. Over-all, 41 per cent of the patients had positive urine cultures post-biopsy and 44 per cent had febrile episodes. There was no significant difference between the group receiving the povidone-iodine versus those receiving saline irrigations.
A retrospective review of 341 patients with bladder cancer revealed 58 candidates for cystectomy. These patients were evaluated preoperatively by radionuclide bone and/or liver scans in an attempt to increase the accuracy of clinical staging. In the face of a normal history, physical examination, liver function tests or serum alkaline phosphatase routine preoperative bone and liver scans in cystectomy candidates did not contribute significantly to clinical staging or choice of treatment. Since liver and bone scans add significantly to the cost of the illness their use should not be routine but reserved only for those special cases when they are indicated.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.