Guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis in gynecology

Using a random table of numbers, 100 premenopausal women undergoing vaginal hysterectomy were assigned to a short-term or long-term antibiotic prophylaxis regimen. The short-term regimen patients received a total of 3 Gm. of cephaloridine in divided doses on the day of operation, while the long-term regimen patients also received oral cephalexin postoperatively. The preoperative profiles of the two study groups were similar, and the postoperative results were not significantly different. A quantitative evaluation of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria recovered from the surface of the vagina was done, and cephaloridine content of vaginal washings, serum, and vaginal tissue was determined. This information was utilized to suggest guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis in gynecology.