The use of both and oral and systemic antibiotics appears to decrease the rate of postoperative wound infection. Most but not all the studies comparing oral antibiotics alone versus oral plus parenteral antibiotics show a significant reduction in wound infection with a combination of the two. Topical antibiotics seem to confer no advantage over preoperative systemic antibiotics. The use of other adjuvants to prevent wound infections such as the use of filtered blood supplemental oxygen and immunostimulation is discussed.
Perioperative antibiotics - wound infection - bowel preparation
