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.
Single-dose surgical prophylaxis using ticarcillin/clavulanic acid (Timentin): a prospective, randomized comparison with cefotaxime.
Single 3.1-g dose surgical prophylaxis with ticarcillin/clavulanic acid (Timentin) was compared to single-dose cefotaxime. Among 224 evaluable cases, the Timentin associated wound infection rate (0.7%), nonwound infectious morbidity (8.8%), adverse reactions (1.9%), and total costs ($14.15) were not statistically different than that of the control drug. The beta-lactamase [corrected] inhibitor combination reported herein should be considered along with other beta-lactams [corrected] for use as a cost-effective, single-dose surgical prophylaxic agent on a wide variety of operative procedures.