Antibiotics covering aerobic and aerobic bacteria should be delivered orally and intravenously prior to colorectal surgery.  Antibiotics delivered within this framework will reduce the risk of postoperative SWI by at least 75%.  Further research is required to establish the optimal timing and duration of dosing, and frequency of longer-term adverse effects such as Clostridium difficile pseudomembranous colitis.
Comparison of two systemic antibiotics for the prevention of complications in elective colorectal surgery.
In a prospective randomized trial on 77 patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery, cefoxitin and cephalothin were given as systemic antibiotic prophylaxis. Postoperative sepsis occurred in 2/40 (5%) of those given cefoxitin compared to 9/37 (24.3%) of those given cephalothin. The reduction in the infection rate in the group treated by cefoxitin was statistically significant (p less than 0.02). Specific drug toxicity was not evidenced except for transient skin rashes in two patients of both groups.