[Local antibiotic prophylaxis for repair of inguinal hernia]

Abstract

A controlled randomized trial was carried out in 324 patients with inguinal hernia. Efficacy was evaluated of a single injection of cefamandole (n = 162) administered at operative site during local anesthesia, using an untreated group as control (n = 162), as prophylaxis against post-operative local infection. Seven patients in the control group developed abscesses at the operative site after discharge, 6 of the 7 during one-month follow up, compared with none in the treated group (n = 0.07). No side effects were reported due to the antibiotic therapy. The cost of the antibiotic treatment was 10 times less than that for treating the suppurations in the control group.