Infection Prophylaxis with Doxycycline in Colorectal Surgery: A Preliminary Report

Abstract

The effect of prophylactic use of doxycycline on postoperative infections in colorectal surgery was evaluated in 158 patients, half of whom had ulcerative colitis. The patients were randomized into 3 groups. The first group received no antibiotics. The second group had 200 mg of doxycycline infused i.v. during the operation, and the same dose was given daily for 4 days postoperatively. In the third group the same intravenous doxycycline treatment was given, but in addition 200 mg of doxycycline were instilled into the peritoneal cavity at the completion of the abdominal operation. Postoperative infection occurred in 24% of the patients not given antibiotics, and in 4% and 11% respectively in the two doxycycline-treated groups. The difference between the non-treated and treated patients was statistically significant. The effect was notably prominent for intra-abdominal abscesses which occurred in 5 out of 49 untreated patients, but was not seen in the doxycycline-treated groups.

Key-words:

• Colitis
• ulcerative
• colonic neoplasms
• colectomy
• doxycycline
• intestine
• large
• postoperative complications
• rectal neoplasms
• rectum