Association of Relinqing Granules plus Levofloxacin With Postoperative Outcomes After Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy for Infected Kidney Stones: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the association between Relinqing Granules combined with levofloxacin and early postoperative outcomes in patients with infected kidney stones undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL).

Methods: This single-centre retrospective cohort study included 198 patients with infected kidney stones who underwent PCNL between October 2023 and October 2025. All patients received standardised preoperative antimicrobial therapy, and surgery was performed after initial clinical stabilisation. Patients were retrospectively classified into a control group (levofloxacin, n = 98) or a study group (levofloxacin plus Relinqing Granules, n = 100) according to postoperative medication records. Propensity score matching was performed to control confounding bias, with 92 cases in each group matched in a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcomes included bacterial clearance rate and inflammatory markers (blood white blood cell count (WBC), urinary leukocyte count, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and interleukin-6) at 2 weeks after surgery. Secondary outcomes included postoperative renal function parameters at 2 weeks and the stone-free rate (SFR) at 3 months after surgery. The safety outcome was evaluated 2 weeks after surgery based on the incidence of adverse events.

Results: Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups (all p > 0.05). At 2 weeks postoperatively, inflammatory markers decreased significantly from baseline in both groups and were lower in the study group than in the control group (all p < 0.05). The bacterial clearance rate was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group at the same time point (92.31% vs 78.79%, p = 0.028). The SFR at 3 months after surgery was also significantly higher in the study group (92.39% vs 82.61%, p = 0.045). The incidence of adverse events was similar between the two groups.

Conclusions: The combination of Relinqing Granules and levofloxacin was associated with better early infection control and a higher 3-month SFR after PCNL. Further prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.