[Usefulness of antibiotic prophylaxis in emergency abdominal surgery]

Two groups of patients submitted to emergency abdominal surgery were examined. The first group was treated with antibiotics before surgery whereas the second group was treated with antibiotics only following surgery. The percentage of local and general complications, the bacteria involved and recovery times were compared for the two groups. It is concluded that presurgical antibiotic cover is necessary to give sure prevention against local and general complications.