Effect of cephalosporins on fascial healing after celiotomy

A 7 day course of either cefonicid or cefazolin significantly reduced mean wound breaking weight after midline celiotomy in Sprague-Dawley rats compared with control animals. This detrimental effect was not seen when each drug was administered as a single preoperative dose. Even a 3 day course of cefonicid was associated with a significant reduction in the weight required to disrupt a healing abdominal closure. An increased incidence of incisional hernias was also noted among animals treated for 7 days with cefonicid or cefazolin. Shorter antibiotic regimens were not associated with an increased frequency of incisional herniation.