title: Is antibiotic prophylaxis necessary in elective laparoscopic surgery for benign gynecologic conditions?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of prophylactic antibiotics in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery is still popular and many gynecologic surgeons believe that prophylactic antibiotic therapy will decrease the incidence of postoperative infection complications.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this prospective cohort study was to investigate the opportunity of prophylactic antibiotics to prevent early postoperative infections and febrile morbidity in elective laparoscopic surgery for benign gynecological conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  300 women who underwent laparoscopic surgery for benign gynecological conditions were included in the study. After the patients were included they were divided in two groups (ratio 1:1). Group A (n = 150) received 2 g of cefazolin (Cefamezin; Pfizer Italia Srl, Italy) 30 min before surgery and group B (n = 150) received no antibiotic prophylaxis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No postoperative infection was diagnosed for a total of 300 study patients. The overall rate of febrile morbidity was 3.3% for a total of 300 patients (1.3% for group A and 2% for group B). No differences in infection complications and febrile morbidity were found between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postoperative infection complications in laparoscopic gynecologic surgery without antimicrobial prophylaxis are negligible and overlapping to those obtained with cefazolin prophylaxis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Sciences and Human Reproduction Padua University, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Litta
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tsiroglou
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cosmi
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciavattini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000379:methods*; D002437:Cefazolin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002437:Cefazolin