Ampicillin sulbactam reduces the incidence of postoperative complications

According to a study published in the January issue of Annals of Surgery, a single prophylactic intravenous administration of ampicillin / sulbactam reduces the incidence of postoperative complications after repair of an inguinal hernia. The authors consider this to be a subject for further study, as no comparative study has been carried out before.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in which 280 patients participated, the efficacy of a single intravenous administration of 1.5 g ampicillin / sulbactam compared to placebo before surgery in patients operated for inguinal hernia. The condition of the patients was evaluated after 1 week, 1 month, 6 months and 1 year after surgery by an independent surgeon. All complications were recorded.

It was found that wound infection after surgery developed in 9% (12 patients) of the placebo group, compared to 0.7% of the group receiving ampicillin / sulbactam (p = 0.00153 ), or there was a significant 10-fold decrease in the level of all types of wound infection in patients receiving ampicillin / sulbactam.

The benefits of antibiotic prophylaxis with a number of surgeries have been convincingly proven at present, but the need for antibiotic prophylaxis for "clean" surgeries, such as hernia repair inguinal, remains controversial.

The results of this study showed the undeniable advantages of antibiotic prophylaxis in patients operated on for an inguinal hernia.