Prophylactic use of gentamicin in colonic and rectal surgery.

A double-blind trial was performed to test whether a single intramuscular injection of 80 mg of gentamicin would significantly reduce the incidence of septic complications of elective colonic and rectal surgery. The gentamicin was given at the time of anaesthetic premedication, the operations were performed by either of two surgeons, and the patients were followed up by an independent investigator. Eighty patients satisfactorily completed the trial. There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative wound infection, intraperitoneal abscess formation and faecal fistula between the 41 patients who received the gentamicin and the 39 who received the placebo. However, the mortality was significantly lower in the gentamicin group, in which there was only one death.