[Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis in maxillofacial surgery]

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Infectious Disease Prevention
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Intraoral surgical approaches in maxillofacial procedures increase infection risk due to oral flora contamination.
• Postoperative wound infections are a significant concern in head and neck surgeries.
• Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis is crucial for mitigating these risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of a single preoperative dose of cefuroxime versus a 48-hour short-term prophylaxis.
• To evaluate the rates of postoperative infectious complications in patients undergoing maxillofacial surgery.
• To determine the optimal antibiotic prophylaxis strategy based on efficacy, microbiology, practicality, and economics.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, controlled, open study involving 112 patients.
• Comparison of a preoperative one-shot cefuroxime prophylaxis with a 48-hour short-term prophylaxis.
• Monitoring and recording of postoperative infectious complications.

Main Results:

• Both prophylaxis regimens demonstrated low rates of postoperative infectious complications (3.5% for one-shot vs. 4.5% for short-term).
• The study confirmed the effectiveness of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis in head and neck surgery.
• No significant difference in infection rates was observed between the two groups.

Conclusions:

• Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis is highly effective in reducing infectious complications in maxillofacial surgery.
• The one-shot prophylaxis with cefuroxime is recommended due to its microbiological, practical, and economic advantages.
• A single preoperative dose offers a viable and preferred alternative to short-term prophylaxis.