Effect of antibiotics on the results and complications or thoracic operations. Par II.

The role of antibiotics in the therapeutical result and in the postoperative complications was studied after 557 thoracic operations. It was found that antibiotics have no decisive role in the therapeutic result and there was no difference in the incidence of wound infections between the groups treated with different antibiotics. The principles and practice of treatment of would infections and pyothorax are discussed in detail. No relationship was found between the incidence of postoperative respiratory complications and the various drug treatments. Prevention and treatment of postoperative respiratory complications are discussed. The length of the febrile period was independent of the antibiotics applied. Their time of application, the problem of changing drugs and their side-effects after thoracic operations are analyzed.