EFFICACY OF PROPHYLACTIC ANTIBIOTICS IN ARTHROSCOPIC SURGERY

A prospective, randomized, double-blind study of 437 patients undergoi ng arthroscopic diagnostic and operative procedures found that no deep infections occurred in any patient and only one superficial infection occurred in a patient who did not receive prophylactic antibiotics. O ne patient had a mild allergic reaction to the antibiotic that resolve d after treatment with Benadryl. These results suggest that the routin e use of prophylactic antibiotics is not indicated for patients underg oing arthroscopic surgery and that the slight risk of infection is out weighed by the cost of the antibiotics and the slight risk of allergic reaction.