Skip to main content

Intraoperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Neurosurgery: A Prospective Randomized Trial in 840 Patients

  • Conference paper
  • 66 Accesses

Part of the book series: Advances in Neurosurgery ((NEURO,volume 20))

Summary

The efficacy of a single dose of cefotiam as prophylaxis for postoperative infection was analyzed in a prospective randomized study of 840 patients undergoing either carniotomy (group I, n = 711) or cerebrospinal fluid shunting (group II, n = 129). The main interest was centered on the rate of bone flap infection and shunt sepsis requiring operative revision. Data were evaluated in the total groups and various subgroups formed for high risk patients. Our results show a highly significant difference for postoperative bone flap infection, with 0.3% in the cefotiam group versus 5.1% in the control group (p < 0.001). The overall rate of postoperative deep wound infections including meningitis and abscess (group I) was also significantly different (3.1% vs 9.0%, p < 0.005). This was also true for wound infections in high risk patients (3.1% vs 10.6%) as well as for postoperative sepsis and pneumonia. The overall rate of shunt infections (group II) was 7.5% in the cefotiam group and 12.9% in the control group, with the differences not being statistically significant either for the main group or for high risk subgroups. In summary, antibiotic prophylaxis has proven to be effective for prevention of postoperative infection in patients undergoing craniotomy. Although our results in shunt patients do not reach statistical significance, we also recommend single dose prophylaxis in these cases, since there is a clear difference of infection rate between patients receiving and not receiving the antibiotic.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Ajir F, Levin AB, Duff TA (1981) Effect of prophylactic methicillin on cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections in children. Neurosurgery 9:6–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Balch E (1967) Wound infections complicating neurosurgical procedures. J Neurosurg 26:41–45

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Blomstedt GC (1985) Infections in neurosurgery. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 78:81–90

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Blomstedt GC, Kytta J (1988) Results of a randomized trial of vancomycin prophylaxis in craniotomy. J Neurosurg 69:216–220

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Brandt RA, Feres H (1979) Antibiotics profilaticos em neurocirurgia. Arq Neuro-psiquiatr 37:42–47

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bullock R, van Dellen JR, Kelebey W, Reinach SG (1988) A doubleblind placebo-controlled trial of perioperative prophylactic antibiotics for elective neurosurgery. J Neurosurg 69:687–691

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Cruse PJE, Foord R (1973) A five-year prospective study of 23,649 surgical wounds. Arch Surg 107:206–210

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Dempsey R, Rapp RP, Young B, Johnston S, Tibbs P (1988) Prophylactic parenteral antibiotics in clean neurosurgical procedures: a review. J Neurosurg 69:52–57

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Djindjan M, Fevrier MJ, Otterbein G, Soussy JC (1986) Oxacillin prophylaxis in cerebrospinal fluid shunt procedures: results of a randomized open study in 60 hydrocephalic patients. Surg Neurol 25:178–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Gardner BP, Gordon DS (1982) Postoperative infection in shunts for hydrocephalus: are prophylactic antibiotics necessary? Br Med J 284:1914–1915

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Geraghty J, Feely M (1984) Antibiotic prophylaxis in neurosurgery. A randomized controlled trial. J Neurosurg 60:724–726

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Haines SJ (1980) Systemic antibiotic prophylaxis in neurological surgery. Neurosurgery 6:355–361

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Haines SJ (1989) Efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis in clean neurosurgical operations. Neurosurgery 24:401–405

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Haines SJ, Goodman ML (1982) Antibiotic prophylaxis of postoperative neurosurgical wound infection. J Neurosurg 56:103–105

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Malis LI (1979) Prevention of neurosurgical infection by intraoperative antibiotics. Neurosurgery 5:339–343

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Mollman HD, Haines S J (1986) Risk factors for neurosurgical wound infection. A case control study. J Neurosurg 64:902–906

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Quadery LA, Medlery AV, Miles J (1977) Factors affecting the incidence of wound infection in neurosurgery. Act Neurochir (Wien) 39:133–141

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Quartey GRC, Polyzoidis K (1981) Intraoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in neurosurgery: a clinical study. Neurosurgery 8:669–671

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Raggueneau JL, Cophiguon J, Kind A, Rey A, Goldstein A, Thurel C, Dematons C, George B, Roux FX (1983) Analyse des suites infectieuses de 1000 interventions neurochirurgicales incidence de l’antibiotherapie prophylactique. Neurochirurgie 29:229–233

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Reale F, Biancotti R, De Falco D, Gambacorta D (1987) Antibiotic prophylaxis in neurosurgery. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 86:75–78

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Savitz MH, Katz SS (1986) Prevention of primary wound infection in neurosurgical patients: a 10 year study. Neurosurgery 18:685–688

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Schoenbaum SC, Gardner BP, Shillito J (1975) Infections of cerebrospinal fluid shunts: epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and their therapy. J Infect Dis 131:543–552

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Shapiro M, Wald U, Simchen E, Pomeranz S, Zagzay N, Michowiz SD, Cahn SE, Wax Y, Shuval R, Kahane N, Sacks T, Shilit M (1986) Randomized clinical trial of intra-operative antimicrobial prophylaxis of infection after neurosurgical procedures. J Hosp Infect 8:283–295

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Tenney JH, Vlahor D, Salcman M, Ducker T (1985) Wide variations in risk of wound infection following clean neurosurgery. J Neurosurg 62:243–247

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Urciuoli R, Russo GL, Zeme S, Canotte M (1983) Traitment antibiotique prophylactique des complications infectieuses postoperatoires en neurochirurgie. Agressologie 24:237 – 238

    Google Scholar 

  26. Van EKG, Bakker FP, van Dulken H, Dijkmans BAC (1986) Infections after craniotomy: a retrospective study. J Infect 12:106–109

    Google Scholar 

  27. Venes JL (1976) Control of shunt infection: report of 150 consecutive cases. J Neurosurg 45:311–314

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Wright RL (1966) A survey of possible etiologic agents in postoperative craniotomy infections. J Neurosurg 25:125–132

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1992 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Zentner, J., Gilsbach, J., Gaillard, T. (1992). Intraoperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Neurosurgery: A Prospective Randomized Trial in 840 Patients. In: Piscol, K., Klinger, M., Brock, M. (eds) Neurosurgical Standards Cerebral Aneurysms Malignant Gliomas. Advances in Neurosurgery, vol 20. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-77109-5_68

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-77109-5_68

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-54838-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-77109-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics