Aspects of preventing sepsis in colo-rectal surgery: results of recent clinical trials

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We have conducted four clinical trials to assess the value of antibiotic prophylaxis in colo-rectal surgery. Systemic lincomycin was shown to reduce the incidence of sepsis and non-sporing anaerobic bacteria were eliminated as a cause of infection. Short-term (24 h) lincomycin was as effective as 5-day cover with the same antibiotic, but sepsis from aerobic Gram-negative organisms continued to be a problem. However, short-term cover with a combination of lincomycin and gentamicin did not significantly improve upon the results of lincomycin alone; 3 patients receiving both antibiotics developed pseudomembranous colitis and 2 died. Use of oral neomycin and metronidazole for 48 h with a mechanical bowel preparation in patients undergoing colo-rectal surgery for cancer significantly reduced the incidence of wound sepsis and septicaemia compared with controls, and anaerobic sepsis was abolished.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: