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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Design of Cecal Ligation and Puncture and Intranasal Infection Dual Model of Sepsis-Induced Immunosuppression
07:30

Design of Cecal Ligation and Puncture and Intranasal Infection Dual Model of Sepsis-Induced Immunosuppression

Published on: June 15, 2019

Increased incidence of postoperative infections during prophylaxis with cephalothin compared to doxycycline in

Gunnar Baatrup1, Roy M Nilsen, Rune Svensen

  • 1Department of Surgery, Haukeland University Hospital, and Institute of Surgery, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. gba@vizhealth.no

BMC Surgery
|December 9, 2009
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Doxycycline prophylaxis significantly reduced surgical site infections (SSI) in intestinal surgery compared to cephalothin. Switching back to doxycycline lowered SSI rates, indicating its effectiveness in preventing infections.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Surgical Prophylaxis
  • Antibiotic Efficacy

Background:

  • Antibiotic prophylaxis choice impacts surgical site infection (SSI) rates.
  • Tetracyclines, like doxycycline, offer advantages for single-dose prophylaxis due to long half-life and safety.
  • Investigated SSI rates during shifts in antibiotic prophylaxis regimens for medium and major surgeries.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of changing antibiotic prophylaxis regimens on surgical site infection rates.
  • To compare the efficacy of doxycycline versus cephalothin in preventing SSIs in intestinal and gynecological surgeries.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective registration of SSIs following intestinal resections and hysterectomies.
  • Inclusion of 1541 procedures and 1489 controls, with registration during shifts between doxycycline and cephalothin prophylaxis.
  • Collection of confounding patient and procedure-related factors.

Main Results:

  • Colorectal SSIs increased from 19% to 30% with cephalothin, decreasing to 17% upon return to doxycycline (p=0.002 and p=0.005).
  • Gynecological SSIs did not show a significant increase.
  • Rectal resections showed a significant increase in SSIs from 20% to 35% with cephalothin, reverting to 12% with doxycycline (p=0.02 and p=0.003).

Conclusions:

  • Doxycycline, particularly when combined with metronidazole, is a favorable option for antibiotic prophylaxis in medium to major intestinal surgeries.
  • The study highlights the significant impact of antibiotic choice on SSI rates in specific surgical contexts.

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