Outpatient urine culture before en- dourological interventions for urolithiasis: does it make sense to repeat it in a hospital?

Introduction. Preoperative prevention of urinary tract infections is crucial for reducing complications in endourological interventions for urolithiasis. Our study evaluates the diagnostic comparability of outpatient and inpatient urine analyses and their impact on antibacterial strategy. Materials and methods. We analyzed data from 100 patients who underwent endourological surgeries for urolithiasis between November 2022 and June 2023. Outpatient urine cultures, performed within two weeks prior to hospitalization, were compared with inpatient urine cultures conducted preoperatively. Pathogens were identified using standard protocols, and discrepancies were assessed for their influence on antibacterial therapy. Results. Among 100 patients, a complete correspondence between outpatient and inpatient urine cultures was recorded only in 41 cases (41%): in 23 cases (23%), microflora growth was not detected, and in 18 cases (18%), the same pathogen was detected. Gram-negative bacteria, in particular Escherichia coli, were the most frequently detected pathogens. Inpatient crops revealed unique genera of infectious agents, including Klebsiella spp. and Candida spp., which highlights the diagnostic limitations of outpatient studies. Conclusion. Significant discrepancies between outpatient and inpatient urine analyses underscore the need for a two-stage urine culture control protocol to enhance diagnostic accuracy and optimize preoperative antibacterial preparation. Inpatient cultures provide critical data for therapy adjustment. Further prospective studies comparing outpatient and inpatient urine culture results are warranted.