A comparison between netilmicin with metronidazole and doxycycline as prophylaxis in elective colorectal surgery.

The aim of this study was to compare the prophylactic effects of netilmicin plus metronidazole administered for one day and of doxycycline administered for five days on the incidence of postoperative sepsis in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. One hundred patients were studied, 50 men and 50 women, with a mean age of 66.6 years. The patients were randomized into the two groups. Wound infections occurred in a total of 9 patients, 5 in the doxycycline group and 4 in the group given netilmicin plus metronidazole, i.e. the overall infection rate was 9%. It is concluded that there is no statistically significant difference on the incidence of postoperative wound sepsis in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery between the group given doxycycline for five days and the group given netilmicin plus metronidazole for one day.