Cefotiam Treatment in Children: Evidence of Subtherapeutic Levels.

BACKGROUND: Cefotiam, a second-generation cephalosporin, is a broad-spectrum antibiotic with good antibacterial action against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. It is used widely in clinical practice, although bacterial drug resistance makes its clinical use problematic. The authors hypothesized that subtherapeutic concentrations of cefotiam leads to bacterial resistance. The present study was conducted to evaluate whether the standard cefotiam dosing regimen resulted in a subtherapeutic concentrations in children. METHOD: Data were prospectively collected from pediatric patients with suspected or confirmed community-acquired pneumonia who were receiving cefotiam at the standard dosing regimen (40-80 mg/kg, 2 or 3 times daily). A blood sample was collected after 70%-100% of the dosing interval, and plasma concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography using an ultraviolet detector. RESULTS: The data from 88 patients (age, 3.0 ± 2.8 years; weight, 15.4 ± 8.3 kg) were used for analysis. The average of cefotiam concentrations was 0.06 mcg/mL (range: <0.05-0.79 mcg/mL). Most patients (n = 72, 81.8%) had concentrations below 0.1 mcg/mL; only 2 patients had concentrations higher than 0.4 mcg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: The standard dosing regimen for cefotiam resulted in extremely low plasma concentrations in children; such low concentrations may lead to antimicrobial drug resistance. Thus, an increase in cefotiam dosage in children to 80 mg/kg 4 times daily is recommended (maximum dose on the label).

[A case of osteomyelitis due to Kingella kingae].

Kingella species including K. kingae are non-motile coccobacilli or short straight rods, and their normal habitats appear to be the upper respiratory and oropharyngeal tracts of humans. In recent years, K. kingae strains have been increasingly recognized as common causes of invasive infections in children at the age of less than 4 years. In Japan, however, invasive K. kingae infections including osteomyelitis have rarely been described. We incidentally encountered isolation of a K. kingae strain from intraoperatively obtained specimens from a previously healthy 44-month-old boy. He first consulted a nearby medical facility and a suspected diagnosis of osteomyelitis was made, after which the patient was then transferred to our Nagano Children's hospital. There was evidence of inflammation in his right calcaneus and toe walking was noted. He was treated with surgical drainage. An isolate grown on sheep blood agar with positive oxidase and negative catalase was biochemically characterized with the ID-Test HN20 (Nissui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) kit system together with genetic examinations involving sequencing the 16S rRNA gene, and the infection was finally identified as K. kingae. The patient was successfully treated with cefotiam (CTM) for the first 7 days followed by the administration of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (ST) for an additional 2 months. The K. kingae isolate was confirmed as a sure causative pathogen by observing that the serum showed high agglutinin titers against the isolate. Accumulation of the case reports in Japan with the isolation of this species is essential for clarifying invasive infections due to K. kingae. Our case report is a noteworthy and useful piece of information.

Three cases of pneumatosis intestinalis presenting in autoimmune diseases.

Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is a comparatively rare disease characterized by the presence of intramural gas in the gastrointestinal tract. PI is known to be associated with several clinical conditions, such as pulmonary diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, and traumatic injury, as well as autoimmune disorders. In particular, PI is commonly seen in systemic sclerosis (SSc) but rarely in systemic lupus erythematosus and dermatomyositis (DM). In this report, we present three cases of PI presenting in autoimmune diseases, including DM, Sjögren's syndrome, and limited SSc, and further discuss its background characteristics.

Severe ulcerated 'bodybuilding acne' caused by anabolic steroid use and exacerbated by isotretinoin.

We report a case of severe "bodybuilding acne" in a 22-year-old patient. Treatment with isotretinoin paradoxically led to exaceibation and occurrence of pyogenic granuloma-like lesions.

Multidrug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae with reduced cefotaxime susceptibility is increasingly common in men who have sex with men, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Antimicrobial resistance is an increasing problem in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) treatment. Presently, third-generation parenteral cephalosporins, like ceftriaxone and cefotaxime, are the first option. Resistance to oral, but not to parenteral, third-generation cephalosporins has been reported previously. We analysed the microbial susceptibility (as minimum inhibitory concentration - MIC) of NG cultures obtained from high-risk visitors of the largest Dutch outpatient clinic for sexually transmitted infections (STI) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Among 1,596 visitors, we identified 102 patients with at least one NG isolate with reduced susceptibility to cefotaxime (0.125 microg/ml < MIC < or = 0.5 microg/ml). The percentage of NG isolates with reduced susceptibility to cefotaxime rose from 4.8% in 2006 to 12.1% in 2008 (chi2 17.5, p<0.001). With multivariate logistic regression, being a man who has sex with men (MSM) was significantly associated with reduced susceptibility to cefotaxime (p<0.001). Compared to susceptible NG isolates, those with decreased susceptiblity to cefotaxime were more often resistant also to penicillin (16.5% vs. 43.3%), tetracycline (21.5% vs. 68.9%) and ciprofloxacin (44.4% vs. 90.0%, all p<0.001). The increased prevalence of NG strains with reduced susceptibility to cefotaxime among MSM may herald resistance to third-generation parenteral cephalosporins. A considerable proportion of these strains show resistance to multiple antibiotics which could limit future NG treatment options.

[Fundamental study on the selection of antimicrobial prophylactic agents in abdominal surgery].

Most infections after abdominal operations are endogenous and occur by disseminating bacteria present in the intestinal tract during operation. The risk of developing surgical site infection after abdominal operations is related to the extent of intestinal contamination during operation and to the density and type of bacteria in the intestinal tract. Although antimicrobial prophylactic agents must be active against contaminating bacteria during operation, it should not cover all contaminating bacteria but Staphylococcus aureus except MRSA, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., Citrobacter spp., Proteus spp. and Bacteroides spp. As the isolation rate and type of bacteria from primary abdominal infections such as perforated peritonitis and biliary tract infection are resemble to those of bacteria contaminating during operations, antimicrobial prophylactic agents could be chosen considering activities against bacteria isolated from primary infections. According to the isolation rates of these bacteria and antibiotic susceptibilities, cefotiam (CTM) is considered to have most strong activities as prophylactic agent for abdominal surgery, followed by cefmetazole (CMZ) and cefazolin (CEZ), in this order. In order to establish the fundamental principle of antimicrobial prophylaxis in surgery, these results should be evaluated by clinical prospective randomized studies in the near feature.

[Clinical evaluation of cefuzonam (CZON) for bacterial pneumonia and lung abscess: comparative study with cefotiam (CTM)].

A double blind study was conducted to objectively evaluate the usefulness of Cefuzonam (CZON) in the treatment of bacterial pneumonia and lung abscess. Cefotiam (CTM) was used as a control drug. Each drug was administered by intravenous drip infusion at 1 g at a time, twice daily, for 14 days as a rule. The results are as follows: 1. Enrolled in this study were 145 cases in total, comprising 72 of CZON group and 73 of CTM group. Of the total cases, 109 (53 of CZON group and 56 CTM group) were evaluated for clinical efficacy by the evaluation committee. Exclusion rate and background of patients were not significantly different between the two groups. 2. Clinical effectiveness assessed by the committee showed the efficacy rates of 84.9% (45 cases out of 53) for the CZON group and 83.3% (47 cases out of 56) for the CTM group, with no significant difference between the two groups. 3. The bacteriological eradication rates were 89.5% (17 strains out of 19) for the CZON group and 78.3% (18 strains out of 23) for the CTM group, with no significant difference between the two groups. 4. The incidence of side effects was 5 cases (7.5%) for the CZON group and 3 cases (4.2%) for the CTM group. The incidence rate of laboratory test abnormality was 28.4% (19 cases out of 67) for the CZON group and 31.3% (12 cases out of 67) for the CTM group. There was no significant difference between the two groups. 5. Usefulness rates calculated by the committee were 79.2% (42 cases out of 53) for the CZON group and 76.8% (43 cases out of 56) for the CTM group. There was no significant difference between the two groups. These results show that CZON is a useful drug in the treatment of bacterial pneumonia and lung abscess.

Successful treatment of a Salmonella aortic arch aneurysm.

A 52-year-old man hospitalized for hoarseness and chest pain was found in chest computed tomography to have an impending aortic arch aneurysm rupture. Laboratory studies showed the presence of severe inflammation. Based on a clinical diagnosis of infected aortic arch aneurysm, we conducted total arch replacement. Salmonella was identified in the aneurismal wall and antibiotics were administered long-term. The postoperative course was uneventful. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 48. He has remained afebrile and asymptomatic in the 10 months since surgery but continues to take 300 mg/d of oral levofloxacin.

[Efficacy and tolerance of cefotiam hexetil in the super-infected chronic sinusitis. A randomized, double-blind study in comparison with cefixime]. / Efficacité et tolérance du céfotiam hexétil dans le traitement de surinfection de la sinusite chronique. Etude randomisée, en double aveugle, comparison au céfixime.

Efficacy and safety of a new oral third generation Cephalosporin, Cefotiam Hexetil (CTM) 200 mg bid were compared with those of Cefixime (CX) 200 mg bid over 10 day duration of treatment. One hundred and twenty two ambulatory adults suffering from chronic sinusitis were randomized by ENT specialists in this multicentre prospective double blind, doubled dummy study. Sinusitis diagnosis evocated in front of fascial pain, purulent nasal discharge and/or obstruction was confirmed with sinus X-ray. Use of antibiotics or corticosteroids concomitantly or 15 days prior inclusion represented one of the major exclusion criterion. One hundred and seventy one patients were evaluated for efficacy analysis (62 and 59 respectively in CTM and CX groups). Regarding demographic data, clinical and radiological signs, the two populations were comparable at inclusion excepted for sex and weight (female: 73% in CTM group versus 47% in CX group). The overall clinical success rate at the end of treatment (cure+improvement) was not significantly different between the two groups (CTM: 82% versus CX: 80%). The incidence of adverse events was less frequent in the CTM group (14.5% versus 19%). In conclusion, CTM 200 mg bid is as efficacious and as well tolerated as CX 200 mg bid in the treatment of chronic sinusitis in adults.

[A comparative study on the efficacies of ritipenem acoxil and cefotiam hexetil in bacterial pneumonia by the double-blind method].

To objectively evaluate the efficacy, safety and usefulness of the newly developed penem oral antibiotic, ritipenem acoxil (RIPM-AC), against bacterial pneumonia, we conducted a multi-center double-blind comparative study using cefotiam hexetil (CTM-HE) as the control drug. Both RIPM-AC and CTM-HE were orally administered at 200 mg t.i.d. for 14 days, in principle. The results were as follows: The total number of patients enrolled in this trial was 208, of which 152 cases (RIPM-AC group: 73, CTM-HE group: 79) were evaluable for clinical efficacy. 1. The clinical efficacy rates (excellent + good) were 91.8% (67/73) in the RIPM-AC group and 94.9% (75/79) in the CMT-HE group. There was no significant difference between the two groups, and the clinical equivalency of RIPM-AC to CTM-HE was demonstrated. 2. In the patients enrolled in the evaluation of clinical efficacy, the eradication rates of the causative organisms were 84.6% (22/26) in the RIPM-AC group and 91.7% (22/24) in the CTM-HE group, with no significant difference between the two groups. 3. Side effects were noted in 9 cases (9.6%) of the RIPM-AC group and 5 cases (4.9%) of the CTM-HE group. Abnormal laboratory test findings were observed in 23 cases (26.7%) of the RIPM-AC group and 15 cases (15.6%) of the CTM-HE group. There was no significant differences between the two groups in the incidence of side effects nor of abnormal laboratory test findings. In the safety evaluation, RIPM-AC was judged to be safe in 64 cases (68.1%) and CTM-HE in 82 cases (80.4%), with no significant difference. 4. The usefulness rates (markedly useful+useful) were 86.5% (64/74) in the RIPM-AC group and 92.5% (74/80) in the CTM-HE group. There was no significant difference between the two groups. Since RIPM-AC showed clinical efficacy similar to those of CTM-HE and posed no particular safety problems, it is expected to be a useful antibiotic for the treatment of bacterial pneumonia.

[A questionnaire survey on the theory of postoperative infection prophylaxis in urology].

A questionnaire survey on the theory of postoperative infection prophylaxis was conducted to obtain the consensus on perioperative antimicrobial use among urologists in Japan in the period from April to July 2000. Sixty-three of the 87 urologists replied, and the following consensus was obtained. An antimicrobial prophylaxis (AMP) agent should be chosen based on their efficacy against the pathogens expected to be contaminants, such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae and Bacteroides fragilis group. Use an AMP agent that achieves a bactericidal concentrations in both the serum and operating site. Use an AMP agent that has little unfavourable side effects. The newer agents should be considered as a therapeutics for postoperative infections. The therapeutic antimicrobial agents having no cross-resistance to the AMP agents should be used, if postoperative infection is suspected or developed. The most commonly used agent for clean operations are cefazolin (CEZ), followed by cefotiam (CTM) and piperacillin (PIPC), in this order. For clean-contaminated operations, the most commonly used agent is CTM, followed by PIPC and CEZ.

[Efficacy of arbekacin, a new aminoglycoside antibiotic, in surgical patients with MRSA infections].

The clinical efficacy of a new aminoglycoside antibiotic, arbekacin (ABK), was studied in surgical patients who had been infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Six cases of pneumonia, 2 of wound infections and 2 of intra-abdominal infections were treated by ABK alone or ABK together with beta-lactam antibiotics such as imipenem/cilastatin or cefotiam. The overall clinical efficacies against these MRSA infections were excellent in one case, good in 6 and poor in 3. In six cases treated by ABK alone, good clinical responses were obtained in 4 cases. Among 4 cases that received combination therapy with ABK, good responses were obtained in 3 cases. No adverse reactions were found in ABK monotherapy or in combined therapy. These data suggested that ABK is an effective antibiotic on surgical infections caused by MRSA.

[Evaluation of the efficacy of ceftriaxone in acute suppurative otitis media and acute exacerbation of chronic suppurative otitis media. A comparative study with cefotiam as the control].

In order to objectively evaluate the efficacy and the safety of ceftriaxone (CTRX) using once daily administration of 1 g to cases of acute suppurative otitis media and acute exacerbation of chronic suppurative otitis media, a group comparison study by the envelope method was conducted using cefotiam (CTM) as the control drug (2 g twice daily). The results obtained are summarized as follows. 1. Clinical efficacies evaluated by the committee were 71% in the CTRX group and 86% in the CTM group for acute suppurative otitis media, and 63% and 60%, respectively, for chronic suppurative otitis media. When all cases were considered both groups evidenced a clinical efficacy of 64%, and no significant difference was observed between the 2 groups. 2. Clinical efficacies evaluated by the physician in charge were 65% in the CTRX group and 86% in the CTM group for acute suppurative otitis media, and 72% and 60%, respectively, for chronic suppurative otitis media. When all cases were considered efficacies were, respectively, 70% and 64%, showing no significant difference between the 2 groups. 3. Bacteriological efficacies were 88% in the CTRX group and 86% in the CTM group for acute suppurative otitis media, and 74% and 62%, respectively, for chronic suppurative otitis media. With all cases bacterial eradication rates were, respectively, 76% and 67%. Bacterial eradication rates were always higher for the CTRX group than for the CTM group, but the difference was not significant between the 2 groups. 4. Against infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus alone, CTRX showed equal clinical and bacteriological efficacies to CTM. 5. As side effects, dermatitis, vomiting, and malaise were observed in 5 cases (4%) of the CTRX group and 3 cases (3%) of the CTM group. As clinical testing abnormalities, elevations of GOT, GPT, and Al-P, and thrombocytopenia were noted only in 3 cases (5%) of the CTRX group. Furthermore, all of these abnormalities were temporary and of moderate degree or mild, thus the safety of either drug was considered high. 6. Clinical utilities were 71% in the CTRX group and 86% in the CTM group for acute suppurative otitis media, and 72% and 62%, respectively, for chronic suppurative otitis media. When all cases were included, they were 72% and 66%, respectively, and there was no significant difference between the 2 groups. It is concluded from the above results that CTRX is a highly useful drug with once daily administration of 1 g in the treatment of suppurative otitis media.

[Comparative study on the efficacy of ritipenem acoxil and cefotiam hexetil in chronic lower respiratory tract infections by the double-blind method].

To objectively evaluate the efficacy, safety and usefulness of the newly developed penem oral antibiotic, ritipenem acoxil (RIPM-AC), against chronic lower respiratory tract infections, we conducted a multi-center double-blind comparative study using cefotiam hexetil (CTM-HE) as a control drug. RIPM-AC was orally administered at 200 mg, and CTM-HE at 400 mg, t.i.d. for 14 days, in principle. The results were as follows: The total number of patients enrolled in this trial was 202, of which 151 cases (RIPM-AC group: 75, CTM-HE group: 76) were evaluable for clinical efficacy. 1. The clinical efficacy rates (excellent+good) were 85.3% (64/75) in the RIPM-AC group and 80.3% (61/76) in the CTM-HE group. There was no significant difference between the two groups, hence the clinical equivalency of RIPM-AC to CTM-HE was demonstrated. 2. In the patients enrolled in the evaluation of clinical efficacy, the eradication rates of the causative organisms were 50.0% (13/26) in the RIPM-AC group and 75.0% (18/24) in the CTM-HE group, with no significant difference between the two groups. 3. Side effects were noted in 10 cases (11.0%) of the RIPM-AC group and 10 cases (10.9%) of the CTM-HE group. Abnormal laboratory test findings were observed in 8 cases(9.5%) of the RIPM-AC group and in 14 cases (16.7%) of the CTM-HE group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the incidence of side effects and abnormal laboratory test findings. In the safety evaluation, RIPM-AC was judged to be safe in 73 cases (80.2%) and CTM-HE in 71 cases (77.2%), with no significant difference. 4. The usefulness rates (markedly useful+useful) were 79.5% (62/78) in the RIPM-AC group and 76.9% (60/78) in the CTM-HE group. There was no significant difference between the two groups. Since RIPM-AC showed clinical efficacy similar to those of CTM-HE and posed no particular safety problems, it is expected to be a useful antibiotic for the treatment of chronic lower respiratory tract infections.

[Efficacy of cefotiam hexetil in acute maxillary sinusitis, with a short five day vs ten day treatment]. / Efficacité du céfotiam hexétil en cure courte dans le traitement des sinusites maxillaires aiguës. Comparaison de l'efficacité d'un traitement de cinq vs dix jours.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this multicentric, randomized, double blind study with direct individual benefit, was to compare two therapeutic regimens of cefotiam hexetil administration, 5 days vs 10 days, in acute maxillary sinusitis. METHOD: The study was conducted in ambulatory patients treated by general practitioners according to AFSAPS (French agency for sanitary safety) guidelines for treatment of acute maxillary sinusitis. Five hundred and fifty three GPs included 1042 patients presenting with acute maxillary sinusitis in the study from December 2000 to July 2001. Patients were randomly treated with cefotiam hexetil 200 mg bid over a 5 day period followed by 5 days of placebo, or with cefotiam hexetil 200 mg bid over a 10 day period. RESULTS: No significant difference was noted in each treatment group. Radiography performed in 72.2% of included patients confirmed the diagnosis in 78.8% of the cases. No significant difference occurred in the number and percentage of cured patients. In the ITT analysis (1018 patients) the clinical cure rates were respectively 85.5% and 85.3% in the 5 day and in the 10 day treatment groups, In the PP analysis (800 patients) the clinical cure rates were respectively 88.6% in each group. The low incidence of adverse effects (3.36%) was confirmed in both groups. CONCLUSION: A 5 day course of cefotiam hexetil 200 mg bid is as effective as a 10 day course in the treatment of acute maxillary sinusitis in adults.

[Clinical evaluation of the combination of carumonam and cefotiam in the treatment of complicated urinary tract infection].

The combination of carumonam (CRMN) and cefotiam (CTM), expected to have a broader spectrum of coverage in connection with urinary tract infections, was evaluated for its effectiveness and safety at the Department of Urology, Osaka University Hospital and 17 affiliated hospitals. CRMN and CTM were given together to 109 patients with complicated urinary tract infections (UTI), of whom 65 cases satisfied the "Criteria of UTI Committee for the Evaluation of Drug Efficacy in the UTI (3rd Ed.)", which was modified by adopting the midstream urine data for women. CRMN and CTM were administered by drip or one-shot infusion at a total daily dose of 4 g (equally mixed 1 g plus 1 g each, twice a day) for 5 consecutive days or longer. The overall clinical efficacy rate in the 65 cases of complicated UTI was 72%, estimated by the criteria cited above. The efficacy rate according to the infection type groupings was 72% for the 29 patients in the 1st group, 100% for the 1 patient in the 2nd group, 100% for the 7 patients in the 3rd group, 83% for the 6 patients in the 4th group, 50% for the 14 patients in the 5th group and 75% for the 8 patients in the 6th group. The disappearance rate of both urinary Gram positive cocci and Gram negative bacilli was 83.3%. Fifteen strains appeared after the treatment, only 4 of which were Gram positive cocci. Among the 109 patients treated with CRMN+CTM, no subjective side effects were recorded and the abnormalized laboratory findings observed were: eosinophilia in one patient, increases in both GPT and GOT in one patient, and lowered creatinine clearance in one patient. With a broader spectrum and safe regimen, the combination of CRMN/CTM is recommended as the first choice against complicated UTI.

[Antimicrobial prophylaxis in transurethral resection of the prostate].

OBJECTIVE: A prospective trial was performed to propose a suitable antimicrobial prophylaxis in patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR-P). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent TUR-P due to symptomatic prostatic hyperplasia between April 1995 and February 1996 were included. Based on the results of urinalysis obtained within preoperative 3 days, the patients were classified into Group I (less than 5 WBC/hpf and bacterial count of less than 10(4) CFU/ml in urine specimen), and Group II (5 or more WBC/hpf or bacterial count of 10(4) or more CFU/ml in urine specimen). Furthermore, each group was randomly subdivided into Group A and Group B according to the period of antimicrobial administration. As prophylactic antimicrobials, cefazolin (CEZ) was used in Group I and CEZ or cefotiam (CTM) in Group II. The antimicrobial was administered only on the day of operation in Group IA (n = 92), for 3 days in Group IB (n = 96), 2 days in Group IIA (n = 37), and 4 days in Group IIB (n = 30). On the day of operation, the antimicrobial was infused immediately before the operation. The presence or absence of pyuria, bacteriuria and febrile infection, and the period required for normalization of the urinalysis were the major points evaluated here. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in any parameters with respect to the period of administration of antimicrobial between the groups, but in both Group I and Group II, the incidence of febrile infection was higher in the groups with shorter antimicrobial administration periods. The mean period for normalization of the urinalysis required 68.4, 68.6, 65.2 and 58.2 days in Group IA, Group IB, Group IIA and Group IIB, respectively. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that 3 or 4-day administration of first or second generation parenteral cephems is generally acceptable regimen for antimicrobial prophylaxis in patients undergoing TUR-P.

[Identification and antibiotic prophylaxis of high-risk patients in biliary tract surgery].

A prospective randomized trial has compared 3 policies of antibiotic prophylaxis in biliary surgery. Patients considered to be high-risked against postoperative infection were randomly allocated to 2 groups: in group CTM-H, patients were given cefotiam; in group CMX-H, patients were given cefmenoxime. Patients free of risk factors (group CTM-L) were all given cefotiam. The high-risk factors adopted in this trial were; emergency surgery, presence of jaundice or cirrhosis, malignant disease, diabetes mellitus, age over 70, recent biliary tract infection, choledocholithiasis, and previous biliary surgery. Postoperative infection occurred in 2.1% (4/190) in the CTM-L group, which was lower compared to 15.5% (11/71) of the CMT-H group (p less than 0.01), and 11.3% (8/71) of the CTM-H group (p less than 0.01). The rates of bacterial isolation from intraoperative bile culture and wound swab were significantly high in the two high-risk groups compared to the low-risk group, but is was not different within the two high-risk groups. These findings suggest that while cefotiam is appropriate for prophylaxis for the low-risk patients, the utmost care should be taken in the high-risk patients to prevent intraoperative contamination along with prophylactic antibiotic therapy which covers the bacteria isolated from the bile.

Single-dose antibiotic prophylaxis is effective enough in colorectal surgery.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that prevention of surgical site infection (SSI) is equally effective when patients receive single-dose (SD) or three-dose antibiotic prophylaxis with second-generation cephalosporin and metronidazole in elective colorectal surgery. METHODS: Ninety-three patients were enrolled from May 2009 to November 2010. The SD group received only one preoperative prophylactic intravenous dose and the three-dose or multiple-dose (MD) group received one preoperative prophylactic and two additional post-operative doses of second-generation cephalosporin and metronidazole. The incidence of infectious complications (SSI of the incision site and organ/space) was compared in the two groups. RESULTS: The overall post-operative infection rate did not differ between the two groups (16.7% in the SD versus 13.3% in the MD, P = 0.653). The incidence of SSI of the incision site and organ/space also did not differ between the groups (6.3% (3/48) versus 4.4% (2/45), P = 0.700; 4.2% versus 6.7%, P = 0.593, respectively). The number of antibiotics administered was not an independent risk factor for SSIs in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: SD antibiotic prophylaxis with second-generation cephalosporin and metronidazole is equivalent to a three-dose prophylaxis for preventing SSI in elective colorectal surgery. But further study would be needed to clarify this because of the small number of participants.