Prophylactic perioperative use of clindamycin and metronidazole in vaginal hysterectomy without pelvic floor repair.

We studied the effect of perioperative clindamycin (3 x 600 mg in 100 ml 0.9% saline), metronidazole (3 x 500 mg in 100 ml 0.9% saline) and a placebo (3 x 100 ml of 0.9% saline) in 120 patients having a vaginal hysterectomy without colporrhaphy. The rate of postoperative urinary tract infections was significantly higher in the placebo group, but there was no significant difference between the three groups in the days of postoperative fever (a temperature above 37 degrees C) or in the length of hospital stay. One patient on placebo had a vault infection and another had a fever of unknown origin.