Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2005 Nov-Dec;71(6):734-8.
doi: 10.1016/s1808-8694(15)31241-6.

Antibiotics in septoplasty: is it necessary?

Marcello Caniello  1 , Gustavo Haruo Passerotti, Elder Yoshimitsu Goto, Richard Louis Voegels, Ossamu Butugan
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Antibiotics in septoplasty: is it necessary?

Marcello Caniello et al. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2005 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

The use of antibiotics is a common practice among otorhinolaryngogists for surgical procedures. The majority of the American Rhinology Society members uses post-operative antibiotics routinely in septoplasties, which is considered unnecessary by many authors.

Aim: To study the real necessity of the antibiotic usage in septoplasties, as well as the main post-operative complications described in the literature.

Study design: clinical prospective with transversal cohort.

Material and method: We studied prospectively 35 patients who were undergone to septoplasty with or without turbinectomy, in the Clinical Hospital of the University of São Paulo. The patients were split in three groups: Group A: without antibiotics; Group B: antibiotics (cefazolin) only during the anesthesic induction; Group C: antibiotics both in the anesthesic induction and post-operatively for seven days. A questionnaire was applied in the immediate post-operatory, in the 7th post-operative day and in the 30th post-operative day asking for bleeding, fever, pain, nausea, vomits and followed by physical and endoscopic evaluation looking for hematoma, septal abscess and purulent secretion which as quantified.

Result: We do not observed significative difference among the groups concerning to pain, fever, nausea, vomits, bleeding and purulent secretion. None of the patients had hematoma or septal abscess. The groups also do not differ in respect to the quantity of purulent secretion.

Conclusion: The nasal surgeries are clean contamined and do not need antibioticprophilaxy because of the low infection risk.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Rechtweg JS, Paolini RV, Belmont BJ, Wax MK. Postoperative antibiotic use of septoplasty: A survey of practice habits of the membership of the American Rhinologic Society. Am J Rhinol. 2001;22(5):315–320. - PubMed
    1. Makitie A, Aaltonen LM, Hytonen M, Malmberg H. Postoperative infection following nasal septoplasty. Acta Otolaryngol. 2000;543(supll):165–166. - PubMed
    1. Yoder MG, Weimert TA. Antibiotics and topical surgical preparation solution in septal surgery. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1992;106:243. - PubMed
    1. Silk KL, Ali MB, Cohen BJ. Absence of bacteremia during nasal septoplasty. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1991;117:54–55. - PubMed
    1. Weimert TA, Yoder MG. Antibiotics and nasal surgery. Laryngoscope. 1980;90(4):667–672. - PubMed

Uncited Reference

    1. Leonard DW, Thompson DH. Unusual septoplasty complication: Streptococcus viridians endocarditis. Ear Nose Throat J. 1998;77(10):830–831. 827. - PubMed

Publication types