Wound infection after cholecystectomy: a case for routine prophylaxis.

Wound infection after cholecystectomy is a not uncommon problem. A retrospective study of 227 cholecystectomies showed the incidence to be 15% when cholecystectomy alone was performed and 30% when a duct exploration was carried out without prophylactic antibiotics. These incidences were reduced to 3.6% and 3.4% respectively when prophylactic antibiotics were used. Though it has been possible to identify a high-risk group of patients, a truly low-risk group is not readily identifiable. It is concluded that prophylactic antibiotics should be given to all patients undergoing cholecystectomy.