Prophylactic antibiotics in oral, pharyngeal and laryngeal surgery for cancer: (A double‐blind study)

Abstract

Abstract Ampicillin plus Cloxacillin (2 gm of each daily) or a placebo were given at random and on a double blind basis to 52 and 50 patients undergoing oral, laryngeal or pharyngeal surgery for neoplastic lesions. The frequency of postoperative wound and respiratory infections was significantly higher (p <0.05) among the placebo‐treated patients. Most infections in both groups were caused by gram‐negative rods. No untoward effects were related to the use of ampicillin plus cloxacillin and this form of therapy did not increase the rate of pharyngeal or wound asymptomatic colonization by bacteria.