title: Perioperative prophylaxis with sulbactam and ampicillin compared with metronidazole and cefotaxime in the prevention of wound infection in children undergoing appendectomy.
abstract: Sulbactam is a beta-lactamase inhibitor, which when administered with ampicillin, increases the latter agents antibacterial activity against beta-lactamase producing organisms. One hundred children between the ages of 5 and 14 undergoing emergency appendectomy were entered into a prospective randomized trial comparing sulbactam and ampicillin (SA) with metronidazole and cefotaxime (MC) as prophylaxis against postoperative wound infection. Patients in whom the appendix was perforated or gangrenous received a 72-hour course of antibiotics, others received a single dose only. The overall wound infection rate was 8% (14% in patients with perforation or gangrene and 4% in those without). There was no difference in infection rate between the two antibiotic groups; there were three wound infections and one subphrenic abscess in patients receiving SA and four wound infections in patients receiving MC. SA, therefore, appears to be a suitable antibiotic combination for use as prophylaxis in appendicitis in children.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000667:Ampicillin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001062:Appendectomy; D001065:Appendix / Q000382:microbiology; D002439:Cefotaxime / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011292:Premedication; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D013407:Sulbactam / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors
chemical_list: D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors; D008795:Metronidazole; D000667:Ampicillin; D002439:Cefotaxime; D013407:Sulbactam