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 ?
Effect of Prophylactic Antibiotics in Acute Nonperforated Appendicitis: A Prospective, Randomized, Double‐blind Clinical Study
A prospect i ve , r and omized , double-blind clinical study was performed to determine the efficacy of short-term ( 24 hr ) perioperative antibiotics in preventing septic complications after emergency appendectomy for nonperforated appendicitis . The patients were stratified into three clinical arms : Group I ( placebo , n = 45 ) , Group II ( cefam and ole , n = 46 ) and Group III ( cefam and ole plus carbenicillin , n = 45 ) . The three groups of patients were similar in regard to age , sex , duration of operation and pathologic classification of the appendix . The overall incidence of infection in the study was 5.1 % . The infection rates in Groups II ( 2.2 % ) and III ( 0 % ) were significantly lower than Group I ( placebo ) ( 13.3 % ) , ( p ≤ 0.05 ) . No difference was observed between cefam and ole alone and cefam and ole plus carbenicillin . Average postoperative hospital days per patient for each group was : Group IAC3.8 days ; Group IIAC2.9 days ; Group IIIAC3.1 days . Cost analysis of hospitalization including cost of prophylactic antibiotics revealed a $ 247.99 per patient saving for Group II versus Group I and $ 95.53 for Group III versus Group I. Systemic prophylactic antibiotics can successfully reduce septic complications after appendectomy for non-perforated appendicitis , and a single drug ( cefam and ole ) directed at the facultative pathogens is as effective as double drug therapy , which includes specific anaerobic
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 ?