Single-dose v. short-term antibiotic therapy for prevention of wound infection in general surgery. A prospective, randomized double-blind trial.
To investigate the effectiveness of a single-dose antibiotic regimen for preventing postoperative wound infection, a prospective, randomized double-blind trial was carried out in patients undergoing "clean-contaminated", "contaminated" or "clean" (vascular) surgery. Both elective and emergency operations were included. Single-dose (preoperative) prophylaxis was compared with short-term prophylaxis (1 dose preoperatively and 2 doses postoperatively). The antibiotics were penicillin, tobramycin and metronidazole in various combinations, and comparisons between single-dose and short-term prophylaxis were made with all the regimens. The incidence of wound infection was 5/277 (1.8%) in the short-term group and 9/287 (3.1%) in the single-dose group. The difference was not statistically significant. Nor was statistically significant difference found when the type of operation and the degree of contamination were considered. Single-dose antibiotic prophylaxis thus gave a low incidence of postoperative wound infection, even in "clean-contaminated" or "contaminated" cases.
Oostvogel
H J
HJ
Department of Surgery, St Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, the Netherlands.
van Vroonhoven
T J
TJ
van der Werken
C
C
Lenderink
A W
AW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D010406:Penicillins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014031:Tobramycin / Q000008:administration & dosage
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins; D008795:Metronidazole; D014031:Tobramycin