ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the effect of metronidazole for wound infection by using intra-incisional infiltration before appendectomy. METHODS: From January to May 2000, 176 patients with acute appendicitis received appendectomy. All patients were randomly divided into two groups. Group I (n=50) was the treatment group and group II (n=126) was the control group. After anesthesizing the patients of group I, 7.5 mg/kg of metronidazole was injected into subcutaneous tissue and muscle. All patients of group I and II were given intravenous injection of cephalosporin and intravenous or intramuscular injection of aminoglycoside. RESULTS: In the 50 cases of group I, the rate of wound infection was 2% and the rate of wound infection in the 126 cases of group II was 4.8%. The rate of anaerobic bacteria of organisms cultured from wound of patients with infection was 0% in group I and 33% in group II. The statistical analysis using chi-square test was not significant (p=0.676) but the rate of wound infection was reduced, especially in infection caused by anaerobic bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of wound infection was not significant statistically but it was reduced after intra-incisional infiltration of metronidazole. Therefore we suggest that this method can be one of methods that reduce the rate of wound infection after appendectomy.
