title: Single-dose antibiotic prophylaxis is effective enough in colorectal surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that prevention of surgical site infection (SSI) is equally effective when patients receive single-dose (SD) or three-dose antibiotic prophylaxis with second-generation cephalosporin and metronidazole in elective colorectal surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-three patients were enrolled from May 2009 to November 2010. The SD group received only one preoperative prophylactic intravenous dose and the three-dose or multiple-dose (MD) group received one preoperative prophylactic and two additional post-operative doses of second-generation cephalosporin and metronidazole. The incidence of infectious complications (SSI of the incision site and organ/space) was compared in the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall post-operative infection rate did not differ between the two groups (16.7% in the SD versus 13.3% in the MD, P = 0.653). The incidence of SSI of the incision site and organ/space also did not differ between the groups (6.3% (3/48) versus 4.4% (2/45), P = 0.700; 4.2% versus 6.7%, P = 0.593, respectively). The number of antibiotics administered was not an independent risk factor for SSIs in multivariable analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SD antibiotic prophylaxis with second-generation cephalosporin and metronidazole is equivalent to a three-dose prophylaxis for preventing SSI in elective colorectal surgery. But further study would be needed to clarify this because of the small number of participants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Hanyang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Kyu
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Kang Hong
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D061605:Administration, Intravenous; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000379:methods*; D015310:Cefotiam / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003082:Colectomy; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012007:Rectum / Q000601:surgery*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D008795:Metronidazole; D015310:Cefotiam