Latamoxef for the prophylaxis of abdominal surgical wound infection: a controlled clinical trial

In a series of 236 abdominal operations, patients were allocated at random to receive a single intravenous dose of either 1 g cephaloridine or 1 g latamoxef (at induction of anesthesia) for the prophylaxis of postoperative wound infection. Of the 116 patients given latamoxef, one developed major and seven minor wound infections, whereas five major and 21 minor infections occurred in the cephaloridine group (P less than 0.01). Latamoxef has now replaced cephaloridine as our prophylactic antibiotic of choice in potentially contaminated abdominal operations.