Patients with prostatitis, especially acute suppurative prostatitis:

D. Should have no transurethral instrumentation if possible.

DISCUSSION: Acute suppurative prostatitis should be treated with vigorous antibiotic therapy with broad-spectrum agents initiated immediately and changed in response to results of culture and sensitivity studies. Urethral instrumentation and repeated prostate examination should not be done, if at all possible, since sepsis is not unusual after either diagnostic examination or urethral catheterization. If the patient does need to have the bladder decompressed, it is beneficial to use a suprapubic catheter rather than a urethral catheter.