A Double‐blind Trial of Single‐dose Chemoprophylaxis With Co‐trimoxazole During Vaginal Hysterectomy and Repair

Abstract

Twenty-five patients received 10 ml co-trimoxazole (800 mg sulphamethoxazole and 160 mg trimethoprim) and 25 a placebo by intravenous infusion during one hour from the commencement of surgery for vaginal hysterectomy with anterior colporrhaphy and posterior colpo-perineorrhaphy. Single-dose chemoprophylaxis with co-trimoxazole was shown to be effective in reducing the incidence of postoperative febrile morbidity and urinary tract infection, especially that caused by Proteus species.

An audit of abdominal hysterectomy over a decade in a district hospital

“…However, there was no difference in the frequency of wound infection, suggesting that the prevention of wound infection is more a function of surgical technique. Our results confirm those of many other prospective studies (Allen et al 1972;Mathews et al 1979;Leabeater & Kingston 1981) and it is difficult to escape the conclusion that it is unjustified not to give prophylactic antibiotics to patients undergoing hysterectomy. Significantly more patients received prophylactic anticoagulants in 1980, but the numbers with venous thrombo-embolism are too small for comment.…”

Urinary tract infections after pelvic floor gynecological surgery: prevalence and effect of antimicrobial prophylaxis. A systematic review

“…In 1975, Ohm and Galask compared the outcomes of 25 patients receiving a regimen of preoperative intramuscular cephaloridine and postoperative oral cephalexin with 23 patients receiving placebo; the results showed that patients from the first group developed UTIs less frequently than patients of the placebo group (4% vs. 30.4%, respectively) [4]. In 1979, Matthews et al reported that the use of a single dose of cotrimoxazole perioperatively in vaginal hysterectomy was associated with a significant reduction in postoperative UTIs (28% versus 64% in placebo recipients) [5]. On the other hand, in 1980, Polk et al found that there was no statistically significant reduction in development of UTIs (21% versus 23%) between patients undergoing vaginal hysterectomy who received perioperative cefazolin versus placebo.…”