title: Metronidazole prophylaxis in acute mural appendicitis: failure of a single intra-operative infusion to reduce wound infection.
abstract: The efficacy of a single 500 mg intravenous intra-operative dose of metronidazole in the prevention of postoperative wound infection, following appendicectomy for acute mural appendicitis, was studied in a prospective randomized placebo controlled trial. Fourteen of the 96 patients (14.6%) in the metronidazole group and 13 of the 94 in the placebo group (13.8%) developed postoperative wound infection. Late sepsis was noted in 4 out of the 96 patients in the metronidazole group and in one of the 94 patients in the placebo group. This study suggests that a single intra-operative dose of metronidazole dose not reduce the incidence of postoperative wound infection following appendicectomy for acute mural appendicitis.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001062:Appendectomy; D002648:Child; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D008795:Metronidazole