Perioperative prophylactic cephazolin in spinal surgery. A double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
We investigated the efficacy of a single dose of 1 g of cephazolin in reducing postoperative infections in patients undergoing 'clean' operations on the lumbar spine. In a double-blind, randomised, trial there were 21 wound or urinary infections in the 71 patients who received placebo and nine in the 70 who received cephazolin (p < 0.05). Nine of the placebo patients (12.7%) developed wound infections (complicated by bacteraemia in two) compared with three (4.3%) in the cephazolin group (p = 0.07). Hospital stay was longer for infected patients than for non-infected patients (p < 0.05). Cephazolin-resistant pathogens were isolated more frequently from patients who received cephazolin than from those who received placebo.
Rubinstein
E
E
Infectious Diseases Unit, Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Aviv University, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Findler
G
G
Amit
P
P
Shaked
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002437:Cefazolin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011292:Premedication; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology
D002437:Cefazolin