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 ?
Prophylactic cephalothin in gastrointestinal surgery.
A prospect i ve study was carried out to evaluate the effect of a strictly st and ardized , short-term prophylactic treatment with cephalothin ( Keflin ) on the incidence of postoperative wound infections in gastrointestinal surgery . Achieved levels of cephalothin activity in serum and interstitial water were studied , and the sensitivity of isolated bacteria at the end of operation and from septic wounds was defined . Patients were divided at r and om into treatment and control groups . The treatment group received 2 g cephalothin at the induction of anesthesia and another 2 g , 5 and 10 hours after the primary infusion . The control group remained untreated . The rapid infusion of 2 g cephalothin result ed in high initial serum levels , which declined rapidly . Equilibration between intra and extravascular compartments occurred about 60 - 80 minutes after start of infusion . At that time the infused dose result ed in a cephalothin level of about 30 mug/ml in ECV and plasma , or about 30 % of the initial concentration . Despite the prophylactic infusion of cephalothin , the frequency of wound infection in treated patients was the same as in the controls . Subdivision of the material according to type of surgery performed did not reveal any difference between untreated patients and controls . No shift towards cephalothin-resistant strains was observed in isolates from septic wounds in the treatment group
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 ?