Use of a topical antibiotic spray in vaginal surgery.

During vaginal hysterectomy with or without colporrhaphy a topical aerosol spray containing neomycin sulfate, polymyxin B sulfate and zinc bacitracin was used in 50 patients to decrease the change of postoperative pelvic infection; a placebo spray was used in another 50 patients. All patients were treated preoperatively with povidone iodine and postoperatively with nitrofurantoin and an antibacterial irrigating solution for the bladder if catheter drainage was necessary. The frequency of postoperative pelvic infection was 16% in the group sprayed with the antibiotic combination and 34% in the group sprayed with the placebo, a significant difference (P less than 0.05).