One 3 g intravenous dose of cefuroxime during the induction of anaesth
esia was administered randomly in a series of 162 consecutive hip frac
tures. The overall infection rate was 8.0 %, and 2.4 % for deep infect
ions. The number of infections was seven in the prophylaxis group and
six in the control group. The percentage of deep infections was 3.9 an
d 1.4, correspondingly. Antibiotic prophylaxis given did not seem to h
ave an effect on the infection rate.