Ethanol-glycine irrigating fluid for transurethral resection of the prostate in practice

OKEKE, A. A.
LODGE, R.
HINCHLIFFE, A.
WALKER, A.
DICKERSON, D.
GILLATT, D. A.

Departments of Urology and *Anaesthesia, Weston General Hospital, Weston-super-Mare, UK
A.A. Okeke, FRCS(Ed), Visiting Specialist Registrar.
R. Lodge, FRCS, Specialist Registrar.
A. Hinchliffe, ChM, FRCS, Consultant.
A. Walker, FFARCS, Consultant.
D. Dickerson, FCS(Urol) SA, Consultant.
D.A. Gillatt, ChM, FRCS, Consultant.

Accepted for publication 13 April 2000

Correspondence: Mr A. Hinchliffe, Department of Urology, Weston General Hospital, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset BS23 4TQ, UK.

BJU International 86(1):p 43-46, July 2000.

Objective

To evaluate the usefulness of a tracer of 1% ethanol in 1.5% glycine in the early detection of irrigation fluid absorption during transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).

Patients and methods

Patients (120) undergoing TURP were irrigated with 1% ethanol in 1.5% glycine solution and their expired air tested for alcohol every 10 min during the procedure.

Results

In all, 112 patients were assessed; over half of the patients absorbed the irrigation fluid and they had a significantly lower postoperative serum sodium concentration (P < 0.002). Fourteen patients (12.5%) absorbed over 500 mL and two (1.8%) developed clinical features of the TUR syndrome. The experience of the surgeon, the weight of resected chips and the operative duration were not significantly predictive of absorption.

Conclusion

A tracer amount of ethanol in the irrigant is reliable for detecting absorption. Irrigating fluid absorption was unpredictable, thus supporting the case for routine monitoring.