A prospective randomized study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Bari to compare two antimicrobial regimens, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid with cefazolin as ultra-short term prophylaxis in laparotomic gynecologic surgery. Patients were randomly allocated to receive a single dose of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (2.2 g) [Group A] or cefazolin (2 g) [Group B] 30 minutes before surgery. Each patient was assessed daily until discharge for fever and the presence of infection of the surgical wound, urinary tract and respiratory tract. In the amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (Group A) and cefazolin (Group B) groups, overall 258 and 253 patients, respectively were evaluable for prophylactic efficacy at hospital discharge. Infectious complications were infrequent in both arms. Febrile morbidity occurred in 16 (6.3%) and 21 (8.1%) patients respectively in the amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefazolin groups. Wound infection and urinary tract infection were also higher but not significantly in the cefazolin group (0.8% versus 0% and 2.7% versus 2.0% respectively). There was no respiratory tract infection or septic death in either group. It is concluded that ultra-short term prophylaxis with both amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefazolin is safe and effective in elective laparotomic gynecologic surgery.
Numerous studies have been published in recent years about antimicrobial prophylaxis in gynecologic surgery, but the optimal drug and schedule for the different surgical procedures is still a matter of debate. The aim of the present study was to compare two ultra-short term antimicrobial prophylaxis regimens (amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefazolin) in preventing infections following laparoscopic gynecologic operations. Three hundred sixty women hospitalized for a laparoscopic gynecologic surgery procedure were included in the study between January 1999, and December 2001. Patients were randomly allocated to receive amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (2.2 g) [Group A] or cefazolin (2 g) [Group B] as a single dose 30 minutes before surgery. Each patient was assessed daily until discharge to evidence febrile status and the presence of infections at the operative site, urinary tract and respiratory tract. In the amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (Group A) and cefazolin (Group B) groups, overall 164 and 172 patients, respectively, were evaluable for prophylactic efficacy at hospital discharge. Infectious complications were infrequent in both groups with febrile morbidity occurring in only one patient (0.6%) in the amoxicillin-clavulanic group. No sign of infections at the surgical site, urinary tract and respiratory tract was observed in either group. No death due to sepsis was recorded. It is concluded that ultra-short term prophylaxis with both amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefazolin is safe and effective in elective laparoscopic gynecologic surgery.
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