The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 60, Issue 1 97-99, Copyright © 1978 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Antibiotic prophylaxis in operations on trochanteric femoral fractures
B Tengve and J Kjellander
Short-term prophylaxis against infection using cephalothin and cephalexin
was studied in 140 patients operated on for trochanteric fractures of the
femur. The group given the drug during preparation for anesthesia,
intraoperatively, and for two days postoperatively had an infection rate of
1.8 per cent (one patient), whereas the group without prophylaxis had a
rate of 16.9 per cent (twelve patients). The two groups were similar with
regard to factors that may have influenced the infection rate, for example,
age, time required for surgery, and blood loss. Staphylococcus aureus was
the most common infecting organism, but several patients had mixed
infections with intestinal bacteria.