Single-dose and multidose prophylaxis in vaginal hysterectomy: a comparison of sodium cephalothin and metronidazole.

A total of 79 patients underwent vaginal hysterectomy and were randomly assigned to three regimens of prophylactic antibiotics: multidose intravenous sodium cephalothin, single-dose intravenous sodium cephalothin, and single-dose oral metronidazole. Control groups were selected from two previous studies conducted at our institution. The incidence rates of infectious morbidity following all three regimens of antibiotics were substantially lower than in the control groups. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of standard febrile morbidity and serious pelvic infections among the three groups. The fever index was lowest in the single-dose sodium cephalothin group.