[Use of antibiotics for the prevention of postoperative suppurative complications in planned surgery]

Two methods for antibiotic prophylaxis in scheduled surgical treatment were studied comparatively. In the main group antibiotic prophylaxis with respect to 621 operations was started simultaneously with premedication, the duration of the course being defined by the operation type. With respect to 252 pure operations antibiotics were not used in 69.8 per cent of the cases or used for 2-3 days in 27.8 per cent of the cases. With respect to 253 conditionally pure operations shorter courses of antibiotic prophylaxis, i.e. for 2-3 days were used in 50.2 per cent of the cases. In the control group the antibiotics were used after operations in mean therapeutic doses, the duration of the course being defined by the clinical findings. The number of purulent complications in the main group decreased, while the amounts of the antibiotics used were much lower.