Preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis : effect of single-dose keflin injection on wound infection in inguinal hernia repair

Abstract EN

Objectives.: The aim of the study was to assess the value of a single dose of intravenous Keflin in the prevention of wound infection during inguinal hernia repair.

Methods: A double blind prospective randomized study was employed.

Patients scheduled to undergo unilateral primary inguinal hernia repair electively were given either 500 mg IV Keflin or an equal volume of placebo before the incision according to a predetermined code.

Patients were evaluated post operatively in the Surgery Clinic at 1 week, 2 months, and 6 months.

Results: Between January 1998 and October 2001, 214 patients entered the protocol.

There were 100 in the study group and 114 in the placebo group.

The groups were well matched for all the variables studied and postoperative complications with the exception of wound infections.

These occurred at a rate of 1% in the Keflin group and 7% in the placebo group.

Eight patients in the placebo group developed wound infections.

Three of these patients required readmission for the infection.

Conclusions: This study documented a statistically significant 7-fold decrease in wound infection and related readmissions when single dose, intravenous Keflin was used.