Short-term antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of wound infection and secondary meningitis in acoustic neuroma surgery: A ten-year experience in a regional hospital

Wound infection and secondary meningitis are important complications for pa tients undergoing acoustic neuroma surgery. The Authors retrospectively eva luated the efficacy of a short-term protocol utilizing vancomycin and netil micin. 434 patients underwent acoustic neuroma surgery in the Otorhinolaryn gology Division, A.O. Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo, from February 1987 to Fe bruary 1997. Perioperative short-term prophylaxis was administered with van comycin plus netilmicin. The utility of the prophylaxis schedule was evalua ted on the basis of the occurrence of infectious episodes during the first 10-day follow-up. Only 2 episodes (0.5%) of bacterial meningitis were obser ved.