title: Antimicrobial prophylaxis for major head and neck surgery in cancer patients.
abstract: A total of 113 patients were randomly allocated to receive either ticarcillin plus clavulanic acid (total dose, 20.8 g) or clindamycin (total dose, 2.4 g) plus amikacin (total dose, 1 g) as perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis for major head and neck surgery. The two groups were similar in age, prior antineoplastic treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy) or tracheostomy, and the various types of surgery including radical neck dissection. The wound infection rate was 10% in the group of patients receiving clindamycin plus amikacin and 36% in the group receiving ticarcillin plus clavulanic acid (P less than 0.05). Initiation of systemic antibiotic therapy within 15 days of surgery was necessary for 20 and 45% of these patients, respectively (P less than 0.05). The distribution of microorganisms causing wound infections was comparable in both groups, except for anaerobes, which were isolated predominantly from patients who had received ticarcillin plus clavulanic acid.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Interne et Laboratoire d'Investigation, Clinique Henri Tagnon, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerard
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meunier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dor
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andry
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chantrain
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van der Auwera
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Daneau
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klastersky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000583:Amikacin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery; D019818:Clavulanic Acid; D002969:Clavulanic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011292:Premedication; D011897:Random Allocation; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013982:Ticarcillin / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002969:Clavulanic Acids; D019818:Clavulanic Acid; D002981:Clindamycin; D000583:Amikacin; D013982:Ticarcillin