title: A multicenter study to compare cefotetan alone with cefotetan and metronidazole as prophylaxis against infection in elective colorectal operations.
abstract: The role of antibiotic prophylaxis in operations upon the colon and rectum is now well recognized. In this study, the efficacy of cefotetan, a broad spectrum cephamycin antibiotic, given alone (n = 315), is compared with that of the combination of cefotetan and metronidazole (n = 300). The groups were well matched for age, sex, pathologic features and operations performed. There was no statistical difference in the incidence of operation-related infection between the two groups. We conclude that cefotetan given alone is as effective as the combination of cefotetan and metronidazole for prophylaxis against operation-related infection in elective colorectal operations.
authors.affiliation: Vale of Leven Hospital, Alexandria, Scotland.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Wells
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015313:Cefotetan / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003106:Colon / Q000601:surgery*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D011292:Premedication; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D012007:Rectum / Q000601:surgery*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D008795:Metronidazole; D015313:Cefotetan