Single-dose ceftriaxone versus multiple-dose cefuroxime for antimicrobial chemoprophylaxis in pleuropulmonary surgery

The efficacy and safety of single-dose ceftriaxone and multiple-dose cefuroxime as antibiotic prophylaxis for pleuropulmonary surgery were compared in 160 patients undergoing thoracic surgery. 82 patients received a single-dose of 2 g ceftriaxone intravenous prior to surgery. Seventy-eight patients received 1.5 g of cefuroxime i.v. prior to surgery and 750 mg i.m. every 8 hours for the next 48 hours. Patients were observed daily for ten days postoperatively and monitored for signs of wound and systemic infections. Postoperative infections were studied in each treatment group. No adverse postoperative infections effects or laboratory abnormalities attributable to either drug were noted. Those results indicate that single-dose ceftriaxone was as effective and well-tolerated as a multiple-dose cefuroxime in preventing postoperative infections following pleuropulmonary surgery.