S. Franchelli et al., ANTIBIOTIC-PROPHYLAXIS WITH TEICOPLANIN IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING BREASTRECONSTRUCTION WITH THE TRANSVERSE RECTUS-ABDOMINIS MYOCUTANEOUS FLAP, European journal of plastic surgery, 16(4-5), 1993, pp. 204-207
The authors report the results of a randomized clinical trial of antib
iotic prophylaxis for post-operative infection following breast recons
truction with the transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap
. The aim was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of short-term
parenteral prophylaxis with teicoplanin; the endpoint of the study was
the reduction of wound contamination assessed by microbiologic cultur
e of drain fluid. From October 1990 to March 1992, 38 patients were re
cruited: 20 patients were included in the antibiotic prophylaxis arm (
teicoplanin i.v. 400 mg one hour before operation and in the following
12 h plus 200 mg i.v. at 24 h after operation) and 18 patients in the
control group. Analysis of drain fluid showed a higher contamination
(15/18 = 83%) in the control group (Staphylococcus epidermides, Strept
ococcus alfa-emoliticus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Peptostreptococcus ma
gnus) as compared to the prophylaxis arm with teicoplanin (2/20 = 10%)
(Staphylococcus coagulase-negative) (p < 0.0001). Moreover, 11 patien
ts in the control group suffered from fever > 37.5-degrees-C as compar
ed to one patient in the antibiotic prophylaxis group (p < 0.0001); th
e post-operation stay was 13.3 +/- 4.3 and 9.0 +/- 1.6 in the control
and antibiotic arm, respectively (p = 0.0002). There were no antibioti
c related side effect in this study. These results seem to confirm the
value of parenteral short-term antibiotic prophylaxis of post-operati
ve infection in this type of '' clean '' operative procedure.