Cefamandole in gastroduodenal surgery: a controlled, prospective, randomized, double-blind study.

Acceptance of the value of antibiotic prophylaxis in gastroduodenal surgery is growing, but only one controlled, double-blind study justifying this is available. In this second, controlled, randomized, double-blind study 60 patients underwent urgent and elective gastroduodenal operations. Among 32 patients receiving cefamandole perioperatively for prophylaxis, only 1 subsequently had a wound infection, but wound infections occurred in 8 of the 28 patients who received a placebo (P less than 0.01). Infection rates were higher in contaminated wounds and in urgent operations than in clean-contaminated wounds and elective surgery. The results confirm the value of antibiotic prophylaxis in this setting.