title: A comparison of intravenous cefoxitin and a combination of gentamicin and metronidazole as prophylaxis in colorectal surgery.
abstract: In a prospective randomized clinical trial, 103 patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery received either cefoxitin or a combination of metronidazole and gentamicin. Six of 52 patients in the cefoxitin group (11.5 per cent) and six of 48 patients in the metronidazole/gentamicin group (12.5 per cent) developed serious wound infections. Two patients (3.8 per cent) in the cefoxitin group and one patient (2.1 per cent) in the metronidazole/gentamicin group developed deep sepsis. These results suggest that cefoxitin is as effective as the combination of metronidazole and gentamicin for prophylaxis against serious postoperative septic complications.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002440:Cefoxitin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003106:Colon / Q000601:surgery*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011292:Premedication; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D012007:Rectum / Q000601:surgery*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D005839:Gentamicins; D008795:Metronidazole; D002440:Cefoxitin