BACKGROUND: @entity698 is the most common cause of acute @entity490 requiring surgical intervention. The cause of @entity698 is unclear and the mechanism of pathogenesis continues to be debated. Despite improved asepsis and surgical techniques, @entity260 , such as wound @entity281 and intraabdominal abscess, still account for a significant morbidity. Several studies implicate that @entity86 are reduced by administration of antimicrobial regimes. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review is to evaluate the use of antibiotics with placebo or no treatment in @entity1 undergoing appendectomy. Will these @entity1 benefit from antimicrobial prophylaxis? The outcomes are described according to the nature of the appendix, as either @entity698 (including the non-infectious stage) and @entity532 . This review do not attempt to compare the effect of different regimens. That clinical question is addressed in another review undertaken by Bleuer 1999. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (Cochrane Library 2002 issue 4); Pubmed, Embase and the Cochrane @entity14 Group Specialised Register (Up to October 2002). In addition we manually searched the reference lists of the primary identified trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: We evaluated Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) and Controlled Clinical Trials (CCTs) in which any antibiotic regime were compared to placebo in @entity1 suspected of having @entity698 , and undergoing appendectomy. Both studies on @entity1 and adults were reviewed. The outcome measures of the studies were: Wound @entity281 , intra abdominal abscess, length of stay in hospital, and mortality. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Eligibility and trial quality were assessed, recorded and cross-checked by two reviewers. MAIN RESULTS: Forty-five studies including 9576 @entity1 were included in this review. The overall result is that the use of antibiotics is superior to placebo for preventing wound @entity281 and intraabdominal abscess, with no apparent difference in the nature of the removed appendix. Studies exclusively on @entity1 and studies examining topical application reported results in favour to the above although the results were not significant. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotic prophylaxis is effective in the prevention of @entity260 in appendectomised @entity1 , whether the administration is given pre-, peri- or post-operatively, and could be considered for routine in emergency appendectomies.

Antibiotics versus placebo for prevention of XXXX after appendicectomy.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['children', 'patients'] @entity698 :: ('MESH:D001064', 'Disease') :: ['Appendicitis', 'appendicitis', 'simple appendicitis'] @entity532 :: ('MESH:D003925', 'Disease') :: ['complicated appendicitis'] @entity260 :: ('MESH:D011183', 'Disease') :: ['postoperative complications'] @entity281 :: ('MESH:D007239', 'Disease') :: ['infection'] @entity86 :: ('MESH:D019106', 'Disease') :: ['postoperative infections'] @entity490 :: ('MESH:D015746', 'Disease') :: ['abdominal pain'] @entity14 :: ('MESH:D015179', 'Disease') :: ['Colorectal Cancer']
@entity86 :: (MESH:D019106,Disease) :: ['postoperative infection']
