[Preoperative oral antimicrobial bowel preparations in elective colorectal surgery]

Colorectal surgery is associated with high incidence of postoperative wound infection due to contamination of the field of operation by organisms from the intestine. A consecutive series of 300 patients undergoing elective operations on the colon and rectum, was studied to determine the efficacy of oral antibacterial preparations on the influence of intestinal organisms at operation and the incidence of postoperative wound infection. The patients were divided into four groups as their preoperative bowel preparations as follows; 1st group: mechanical preparation alone, 2nd group: mechanical preparation and oral kanamycin, 3rd group: mechanical preparation and oral kanamycin and metronidazole, and 4th group: mechanical preparation and oral polymyxin B and metronidazole. The results of bacteriological studies on specimens taken by swab from colonic lumen and wound at operation showed effectiveness of kanamycin and polymyxin B against aerobic gram-negative rods and metronidazole against anaerobes. The rates of postoperative wound infection were 47.5% in 1st group, 27% in 2nd group, 12% 3rd group, and 2.7% in 4th group, respectively.