Background: There are many doubts as to the efficacy of systemic antibiotic prophylaxis versus the methods of local treatment in the prevention of infection of the contaminated surgical wound. A controlled prospective study was designed to compare the effectiveness of a combination of parenteral antibiotics with lavage with physiologic serum of the surgical wound to prevent infection of the postappendectomy wound.
Methods: The patients in group A (antibiotic, n = 70) received a sole preoperative dose of methronidazol and gentamicin while in those in group I (irrigation, n = 71) the wounds were irrigated with physiologic serum prior to and following closure of aponeurosis. The patients were controlled at one week and one month after the intervention.
Results: The global rate of infection was 9.3%. Six patients of group A and five of group I developed wound infection (p = 0.06), The age and length of the intervention were significantly higher in the infected patients (41 vs 23 years, p = 0.0001 and 53 vs 41 minutes, p = 0.03, respectively). Intraperitoneal culture was positive in 70% of the patients who posteriorly developed wound infection, being positive in only 9.4% of the uninfected patients (p = 0.0001). Eight of the infections (73%) were detected following discharge from hospital. The cost of prophylaxis in group A was seven-fold higher than that of group I.
Conclusions: Lavage of the surgical wound with physiologic serum may be an effective, safe and inexpensive method to prevent infection of the wound following appendicectomy for unperforated appendicitis.