[Short-term antibiotic prophylaxis in surgery. Our experience with the use of piperacillin in 261 patients]

Personal experience of short-term chemoprophylaxis with piperacillin in 261 consecutive "clean" and "non-contaminating" operations is reported. Piperacillin was employed in a dose of 2 g i.m. every 8 hours for a total of 48 hours, the first administration being carried out at the same time as pre-anaesthesia. Results of the study showed 8 cases (3.06%) of hyperpyrexia (greater than 38.5 C for at least 3 days) and no cases of wound, bronchopulmonary or urinary infection or systemic sepsis were encountered. It is concluded that the use of piperacillin enables "clean" and "non-contaminating" general surgery interventions to be carried out almost without risk of infection.