THE CONSEQUENCE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS IN NASAL SURGERY - THE THREAT OF TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME

In a prospective clinical trial the pre- and postoperative presence of S. aureus was examined in 130 patients undergoing nasal septal surger y. The patients were randomized into three groups. The first group rec eived no perioperative antibiotics, the second group was given oral am oxicillin plus clavulanic acid, while the third group was treated with oral sulfamethoxazol and trimethoprim. A significant decrease in the incidence of S. aureus was observed in postoperative cultures, but the difference was not attributable to the antibiotic use. Overall, 18.9% of the S. aureus carriers harbored toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 posit ive strains. However, the decrease in the presence of S. aureus and th e risk for toxic shock syndrome was not influenced by the antibiotics administered. These findings show that the routine use of oral prophyl actic antibiotics for patients undergoing nasal surgery seems not indi cated.