title: The role of postoperative antibiotics in facial fractures: comparing the efficacy of a 1-day versus a prolonged regimen.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of the duration of postoperative antibiotics (1 day vs. ≥ 5 days) on wound infections following surgical treatment of facial fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred thirty-nine patient case histories with a total of 498 fractures were reviewed retrospectively with regard to infections occurring within a 6-month period following surgical management. Patients were divided into two groups based on the duration of postoperative antibiotics administered. Group A consisted of 125 patients who had 1 day of postoperative antibiotics, whereas Group B consisted of 214 patients who had five or more days of postoperative antibiotics. Statistical analysis was conducted to assess for possible differences in the rate of postoperative infections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five patients in Group A (4%) and seven patients in Group B (3.27%) developed infections within the follow-up period. Of these 12 patients, seven had sustained multiple facial bone fractures. Eleven infections occurred in patients with mandibular fractures and one in a midfacial fracture. Statistical analysis using Fisher's exact test showed no significant difference (p = 0.77) in the incidence of infection between Groups A and B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this retrospective study, the use of prolonged postoperative antibiotics in uncomplicated mandibular and midfacial fractures had no significant benefit in reducing the incidence of infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic study, level IV.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery (M.M., R.W., P.L.S., O.L., K.N., B.S.), Inselspital University Hospital Bern, Switzerland; and Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (P.L.S.), National Dental Centre, Singapore.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mottini
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Poh Luon
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Soong
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lieger
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakahara
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schaller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000379:methods*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D008440:Maxillary Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents