title: Colon mechanical preparation is necessary as routine in medical care?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The value of the preparation of the colon prior colorectal surgery remains debatable. Since installed as traditional the use of this routine, few studies have been conducted to support the safety of surgeries done without mechanical bowel preparation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if there is a correlation between postoperative complications and no use of mechanical bowel preparation in operated patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Was conducted a prospective study in patients undergoing coloproctology abdominal surgery without prior bowel preparation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample consisted of 126 patients, 57 men and 69 women. The average age was 54 years (19 to 89). Among patients who had comorbidities (43 patients - 34,12%), 30 (23,80%) had arterial hypertension. Antibiotic prophylaxis was used in 89,70%. Among the patients, 14,28% had complications: eight (6,34%) wound infection, six (4,76%) anastomotic dehiscence and four (3,17%) fistula.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pre-operative mechanical bowel preparation is not essential in the routine of colorectal surgeries.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cirurgia Geral e Colo-Proctologia, Hospital Universitário Prof. Alberto Antunes, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil. mlinsneto@gmail.com
authors.forename: Manoel Álvaro de Freitas
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Lins-Neto
authors.forename: Myra Jurema da Rocha
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Leão
authors.forename: Elton Correia
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Alberto Jorge
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Fontan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003107:Colorectal Surgery / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000592:standards*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult