[Short- or long-term antibiotic prophylaxis in obstetric and gynecologic laparotomy?]

Abstract

This clinical trial was conducted to test the effectiveness of short-term prophylaxis (1 hour before, 8 and 16 hours after surgery) and long-term prophylaxis (8 hour a part 5 days long post-operatively) in preventing morbidity related to obstetrics and gynecological abdominal surgery. Short-term prophylaxis was always performed by cefuroxime meanwhile gynecological long-term prophylaxis was performed by ampicillin plus oxacillin and by cefuroxime in case of obstetrical surgery. The results showed that long-term prophylaxis is unnecessary and short-term prophylaxis is preferable because of decreased toxicity, a smaller hospital dispensary cost and a real prophylactic action because tha antibiotic is in the tissue before exposure to the infective agents.