The Efficacy of Adding Postoperative Oral Antibiotics after Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy in Acute Appendicitis

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of the postoperative oral antibiotics in acute appendicitis. METHODS: This study compared 126 patients diagnosed with appendicitis in 2004, who did not take oral antibiotics after the postoperative treatment (group 2), with 119 patients diagnosed with appendicitis in the year of 2003, who did take oral antibiotics after the parenteral postoperative antibiotics regimen (group 1). RESULTS: The clinical, operative, and bacterial outcomes were similar. Only one infectious complication was detected in each group (group1; 1/119, group2; 1/126). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that adding a course of oral antibiotics, after completing a course of parenteral antibiotics, does not decrease The rate of postoperative infectious complications in appendicitis patients.