Contamination and infection with extensive drug resistant (XDR) bacteria are increasing in urology with the exception of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (stabilization). They often lead to logistic and therapeutical problems. Only 30-50% of XDR cases are of exogenous origin. To slow this trend, screening, hygiene programs, isolation, decontamination, targeted therapy of symptomatic infections, education programs, and success controls should be applied. Furthermore, all regulatory and legal instructions should be followed. Local hygiene networks help to find apt measures for XDR control. It is important to balance hygiene measures against hygiene hysteria. To prepare urological instruments, a local instrument preparation plan that takes into consideration all legal instructions should be followed. The efforts in health system general prophylactic measures should be supported. Only with consistent implementation in all areas of daily life (health care, local environment, animal husbandry, and soil contaminated within the framework of animal husbandry) can a substantial reduction of XDR bacteria be achieved in the long term.
Keywords: Decontamination; Drug resistance, bacterial; Hygiene networks; Prophylaxis; Screening.