title: Efficacy of an antibiotic mouthwash in contaminated head and neck surgery.
abstract: Twelve head and neck cancer patients scheduled to undergo an operation contaminated by entrance into the upper aerodigestive tract were enrolled in a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study to evaluate the efficacy of a preoperative antibiotic mouthwash in reducing oral cavity quantitative bacterial counts and the incidence of postoperative wound infections. The group who received the antibiotic mouthwash had a large reduction in the bacterial counts, whereas the group who received the placebo mouthwash had an increase in the bacterial counts (p = 0.024). None of the patients who received the antibiotic mouthwash had postoperative complications; two of the five patients who received the placebo mouthwash had postoperative complications.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
authors: T R
authors: TR
authors: Jones
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Kaulbach
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Nichter
authors: R F
authors: RF
authors: Edlich
authors: R W
authors: RW
authors: Cantrell
mesh_terms: D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D009067:Mouthwashes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009355:Neomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D009067:Mouthwashes; D004917:Erythromycin; D009355:Neomycin