Background: Surgical site infections (SSI) are a major cause of morbidity after surgery and are associated with increased hospital length of stay, readmissions, costs, and mortality. Surgical site infections are disproportionally high in colorectal surgery and are estimated to affect between 15% and 30% of patients. Surgical site infections (SSIs) increase the cost of care and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality and it is the third most common nosocomial infection.
Objective: To clarify oral antibiotics (OAs) use together with mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) patients outcome following elective colorectal surgery.
Patients and methods: The current study was conducted at Al-Hussein University Hospital and Kafr Elsheikh General Hospital. We selected forty patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery. All the studied patients were divided into two equal groups: Group I received mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics, and Group II received mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics.
Results: We found that there was no significant difference between two groups of patients as regards mean age and sex distribution. Anterior resection was the most frequent surgical procedure done for the two studied groups of patients. The least frequent procedures done for group I patients were radical sigmoidectomy. Total colectomy and sigmoidectomy, the least frequent procedures done for group II patients, were total colectomy and extended right hemicolectomy. However, the difference between the two groups of patient as regards type of surgery and time of closure did not reach the significant value. All studied patients had ileostomy as a type of stoma. As regards complications after surgery, the most frequent complications among patients of group I were pneumonia and ileus. On the other hand, the most frequent complications among patients of Group II were ileus, leakage and intra-abdominal collection. The mean values of hospital stay in days significantly decreased among patients of group 1.
Conclusion: Current study suggested a potentially significant role for prophylactic preoperative oral antibiotic in addition to mechanical bowel preparation, in the prevention of postoperative complications during elective colorectal surgery.