Bacteriological assessment of patients undergoing major head and neck surgery.
The use of chemoprophylaxis in major Head and Neck surgery is controversial. Prior to conducting a prospective trial a controlled microbiological monitoring of 32 patients was performed to determine a suitable antibiotic for prophylaxis. Wound infection occurred in 22 (68%) patients with fistulae occurring in 10 of these patients (45.5%). Pre-operative cultures were of limited value in predicting subsequent sepsis. Gram-negative aerobic bacilli were the commonest group of pathogens (34.4%) isolated post-operatively. From projected resistance profiles of pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria amoxycillin and clavulanic acid (Augmentin, Beecham Pharmaceuticals) was chosen as a suitable antibiotic.
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D010038:Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D011292:Premedication; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents