VALUE OF PROPHYLACTIC ANTIBIOTICS IN AORTA-CORONARY BYPASS OPERATIONS - DOUBLE-BLIND RANDOMIZED TRIAL

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 78  (6) , 908-913
Abstract
Prospective and retrospective studies were performed to determine the efficacy of prophylactic antibiotics in preventing infections in patients undergoing aorta-coronary bypass. Patients [105] were randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive methicillin or saline-placebo for 3 days. The overall infection rate was 26.7% with 48.9% in the control group and 8.6% in the methicillin group (P < 0.001). Significant sternal wound infection developed in 21.3% of the control group and 0% of the methicillin group (P < 0.01). Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant organism causing significant sternal wound infections. The control group also had a statistically significantly higher rate of urinary tract infection (methicillin group vs. control group, 5.2% and 21.3%; P < 0.05). The length of postoperative stay in hospital and the number of days with fever was significantly greater in the control group than in the methicillin group (P .cntdot. 0.001). During the same period of time, 160 patients were studied retrospectively. Of these, 150 patients received cephalothin prophylaxis and 10 received methicillin. Comparison of the rates of infection in the cephalothin group to the total methicillin group (prospective and retrospective) showed no significant difference. A short course of prophylactic antistaphylococcal penicillin or cephalosporin is justified in aorta-coronary bypass.

This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit: