The international surgical journal with global reach

This is the Scientific Surgery Archive, which contains all randomized clinical trials in surgery that have been identified by searching the top 50 English language medical journal issues since January 1998. Compiled by Jonothan J. Earnshaw, former Editor-in-Chief, BJS

Short-term intravenous antimicrobial prophylaxis in combination with preoperative oral antibiotics on surgical site infection and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in elective colon cancer surgery: results of a prospective randomized trial. Surgery Today 2009; 39: 1032-1039.

Published: 1st January 2009

Authors: Ishibashi K, Kuwabara K, Ishiguro T, Ohsawa T, Okada N, Miyazaki T et al. et al.

Conclusion

There was no advantage in prolonging the antibiotics for three days over a single intravenous dose at the time of surgery in this study of 275 elective procedures for colorectal cancer. Surgical site infection was identified in 5.1 per cent of patients who had a single dose, vs. 6.5 per cent who had three days of prophylaxis (P=0.80).

Pubmed Link