title: The effect of antibiotic prophylaxis on patients undergoing vaginal operations. I. The effect on morbidity.
abstract: A prospective, double-blind study was conducted to evaluate the effect of cephalosporins on morbidity in women undergoing vaginal hysterectomy. Each patient received a five-day course of an active drug or a placebo beginning the night before operation. Microbiological studies, including culture and antibiotic sensitivities, were done on each patient pre- and post-operatively. Of 23 women who received the placebo, 11 (48 percent) were classified as morbid. They had either an operative bed infection or a urinary tract infection. Only a small number of cephalosporin-resistant organisms were involved in these infections. Of the 25 women who received the cephalosporins, none (0 per cent) was classified as morbid. A small increase in the number of cephalosporin-resistant organisms (most notably Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was found postoperatively. Four patients were readmitted with pelvic infections after their original discharge. Microbiological data and a discussion of these infections are presented.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007045:Hysterectomy, Vaginal; D010919:Placebos; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology; D014623:Vaginal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D002511:Cephalosporins; D010919:Placebos