Perioperative mezlocillin vs cefotaxime to prevent infections after genitourinary surgery

This is a report of a randomized, comparative, double-blind study of mezlocillin and cefotaxime given perioperatively to 100 patients undergoing genitourinary surgery. Of 94 evaluable patients, 2 (4.7%) in the mezlocillin group and 2 (3.9%) in the cefotaxime group infections developed in the immediate postoperative period. The difference in these incidences is not statistically significant. One patient with recent bacterial prostatitis and prostatic calculi received cefotaxime and bacteriuria and sepsis developed on the first postoperative day.