title: [Prevention of surgical wound infections after appendectomy: intravenous versus rectal metronidazole].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy of rectal and intravenous metronidazole in the prevention of anaerobic wound infections after appendicectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred patients subjected to appendicectomy were randomly assigned to receive, 2 hours before operation, gentamycin 80 mg i.v. and metronidazole 1 g i.v. or the same amount of gentamycin and 1 g of metronidazole as a suppository. Surgical wounds were observed for infections until the tenth day of the postoperative period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven of 45 patients receiving intravenous metronidazole and six of 44 receiving the drug as suppositories had wound infection. The frequency of infections was higher among patients with gangrenous or perforated appendices. They were detected at the fifth postoperative day in 8 patients and the most frequently isolated bacteria were E coli and S aureus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rectal metronidazole is equally effective than intravenous metronidazole in the prevention of would infections after appendicectomy.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirugía, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Concepción, Chile.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anselmi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Durán
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Acuña
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ocares
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zemelmann
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valenzuela
mesh_terms: D000285:Administration, Rectal; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013488:Suppositories; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D005839:Gentamicins; D013488:Suppositories; D008795:Metronidazole
vernacular_title: Prevención de la infección de la herida operatoria post apendicectomía: métronidazol por vía intravenosa versus vía rectal.