Operations on the colon. The role of antibiotics in preoperative preparation

A study was carried out on 183 patients in an attempt to evaluate the role of antibiotics in the preoperative preparation of the colon.Kanamycin, neomycin and a placebo were administered in a double-blind fashion during a 72-hour period preceding operation. In addition, mechanical cleansing of the bowel was done in all cases. Considering only the criteria of mortality and the incidence of postoperative wound and peritoneal infections in this preliminary report there was no apparent significant difference between patients receiving antibiotics and those receiving a placebo.