Nephrotoxicity in isoxazolylpenicillin prophylaxis in hip surgery

In 789 courses of antibiotic prophylaxis in hip arthroplasty surgery, either dicloxacillin (Diclocil) or cloxacillin (Ekvacillin) was used during two different time periods. The surgical methods, anesthesia, preoperative and postoperative care of the patients, and laboratory procedures were the same all the time. Changes in creatinine values were used as a method for evaluating the impact on renal function. When using dicloxacillin, a pathologic increase of creatinine was noted in 12 and 13 percent by two different calculation methods. Sixteen patients (4.2 percent) had a severe creatinine increase during the first postoperative week after dicloxacillin prophylaxis, requiring dialysis in 2 patients. Cloxacillin had only a marginal impact on renal function. Patients above aged 70 years were more vulnerable as regards renal function than younger persons, and the impairment was slightly dose related in all ages. In the dicloxacillin group, preoperative use of antiphlogistic drugs was correlated with reduced postoperative renal function.