[Value of short prophylactic antibiotherapy in thoracic and vascular surgery. Comparative randomized double-blind study of 3 and 8 injections of cefamandole]

Abstract

The subject of whether an optimal duration of prophylactic antibiotic therapy exists was evaluated by comparing results of short and medium-term treatment in aseptic surgery during a double-blind, randomized, prospective trial in 507 patients undergoing vascular or thoracic operations. Patients were randomly allocated to receive either 3 injections of cefamandole: at induction of anesthesia and after 4 and 10 hours (251 cases) or 8 injections of the same antibiotic: at induction of anesthesia, after 4 hours and then every 6 hours up to 40 hours (256 cases). Evaluation on discharge showed that among the 251 patients receiving 3 injections, 21 (8.33%) were infected while in the group treated with 8 injections (256 cases) 25 (9.8%) were infected. The X2 was 0.25 and there is a lack of statistically significant difference between treatments. Duration of prophylactic antibiotic therapy can be shortened, without loss of efficacy in thoracic or vascular aseptic surgery, to reduce selection of resistant germs and to lower costs.