Background: In Japan, antimicrobial prophylaxis (AMP) is typically administered for 3 to 4 days postoperatively for clean-contaminated operations such as distal gastrectomy. This far exceeds the recommended 2h or less laid out by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for the prevention of surgical-site infections (SSIs), after a clean-contaminated operation.
Methods: Patients with gastric cancer, which was curable by distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphandectomy, were assigned to a multicenter phase II study. One gram of cefazolin within 3 min of the first surgical incision and intraoperative supplements of g of cefazolin every h were administered. AMP was not administered after skin closure unless postoperative infection occurred. The occurrence of SSIs was monitored until postoperative day 30 as the primary endpoint of this study.
Results: In 56 patients, three SSIs (5.4%) and one remote site infection (1.8%) developed. No other postoperative infections were observed.
Conclusion: Our data indicate that the CDC guidelines regarding AMP may also be sufficient for patients undergoing clean-contaminated operations in Japan.