Wound antibiotics in gastro-intestinal surgery comparison of ampicillin with penicillin and sulphadiazine

Abstract

Abstract Ampicillin was compared with a penicillin and sulphadiazine combination as a topical wound application in patients undergoing biliary or gastrointestinal surgery in a controlled study. Eleven of the 53 patients having a topical application of penicillin and sulphadiazine developed wound sepsis (20·8 per cent) compared with 4 of the 59 patients receiving ampicillin (6·8 per cent). This difference is significant (P<0·01).