Tinidazole in the prophylaxis of post-appendicectomy infections

A total of 223 consecutive suspected appendicitis patients were treated preoperatively with parenteral tinidazole or physiological saline (control group). An infusion of 500 mg tinidazole was given to 110 patients over 30 minutes beginning about 30 minutes before the start of the operation, the control group comprised 111 patients. Postoperative infections were diagnosed in three patients in the group receiving tinidazole (3%) and in 17 patients in the control group (15%). The difference was statistically significant. There were no side-effects due to the drugs. Tinidazole appears to be well suited to the prophylaxis of post-appendicectomy infections.