[Appendicular peritonitis: antibiotics and complications (author's transl)].

A retrospective study of the complications and bacteriologic findings in a group of 500 appendectomies in children under seven years is reported. A prospective trial on 64 appendiceal peritonitis revealed that there were no significant differences between two antibiotic policies (clindamycin plus gentamycin vs. cefoxitine alone) in regard to postoperative septic complications. Nevertheless, both policies significantly decreased the number of intraabdominal abscesses as compared with the treatments applied during the years of the retrospective study. No improvement was observed in the number of wound infections.