A comparison of three different prophylactic parenteral antibiotic regimens in colorectal surgery: a prospective...

A double-blind, prospective, randomized study was performed with 90 patients undergoing colorectal surgery, to ascertain the prophylactic effect of three different parenteral antibiotic programs. The patients were divided into three groups. The patients in group 1 received 80 mg Gentamycin and 600 mg Lincomycin intramuscularly, two hours preoperatively, and every eight hours postoperatively for three days. In group 2, the treatment was similar to group 1 but the Lincomycin was replaced by 600 mg Clindamycin. In Group 3, the treatment was also similar to group 1, but 500 mg Metronidazole given over 20 minutes replaced the Lincomycin. The present study, the first comparing three antianaerobic antibiotics and an aminoglycoside in the prophylaxis of infection in colorectal surgery, shows certain clinical and socioeconomic benefits, although not statistically significant to be found in the group 3 program (Gentamycin plus Metronidazole) as compared with the other programs. This advantage was no doubt due to the use of Metronidazole (used in group 3 only), because of its effectiveness against anaerobic bacteriae.