The outcome measures of the studies were : Wound infection , intra abdominal abscess , length of stay in hospital , and mortality .
The overall result is that the use of antibiotics is superior to placebo for preventing wound infection and intraabdominal abscess , with no apparent difference in the nature of the removed appendix .
Studies exclusively on children and studies examining topical application reported results in favour to the above , although the results were not significant .
Antibiotic prophylaxis is effective in the prevention of postoperative complications in appendectomised patients , whether the administration is given pre- , peri- or post-operatively , and could be considered for routine in emergency appendectomies
BACKGROUND Appendicitis is the most common cause of acute abdominal pain requiring surgical intervention .
The cause of appendicitis is unclear and the mechanism of pathogenesis continues to be debated .
Despite improved asepsis and surgical techniques , postoperative complications , such as wound infection and intraabdominal abscess , still account for a significant morbidity .
Several studies implicate that postoperative infections are reduced by administration of antimicrobial regimes .
OBJECTIVES This review evaluated the use of antibiotics compared to placebo or no treatment in patients undergoing appendectomy .
Will these patients benefit from antimicrobial prophylaxis ?
The effect of a single‐dose parenteral antibiotic in the prevention of wound infection a controlled trial
In a series of 349 operations a single dose of 500 mg . of ampicillin was given immediately preoperatively to 164 patients selected at r and om . There was no significant reduction in the wound‐infection rate in cases given ampicillin compared with the controls
The outcome measures of the studies were : Wound infection , intra abdominal abscess , length of stay in hospital , and mortality .
The overall result is that the use of antibiotics is superior to placebo for preventing wound infection and intraabdominal abscess , with no apparent difference in the nature of the removed appendix .
Studies exclusively on children and studies examining topical application reported results in favour to the above , although the results were not significant .
Antibiotic prophylaxis is effective in the prevention of postoperative complications in appendectomised patients , whether the administration is given pre- , peri- or post-operatively , and could be considered for routine in emergency appendectomies
BACKGROUND Appendicitis is the most common cause of acute abdominal pain requiring surgical intervention .
The cause of appendicitis is unclear and the mechanism of pathogenesis continues to be debated .
Despite improved asepsis and surgical techniques , postoperative complications , such as wound infection and intraabdominal abscess , still account for a significant morbidity .
Several studies implicate that postoperative infections are reduced by administration of antimicrobial regimes .
OBJECTIVES This review evaluated the use of antibiotics compared to placebo or no treatment in patients undergoing appendectomy .
Will these patients benefit from antimicrobial prophylaxis ?