Topical ampicillin in the prevention of wound infection after appendicectomy

Abstract

Abstract The effect of topical ampicillin on the rate of wound infection after emergency appendicectomy was studied in a prospective controlled trial of 200 patients. Sixteen per cent of patients in the control group developed a wound injection compared with 3 per cent of those receiving ampicillin powder in the wound (P<0·01). When patients with peritonitis were considered, 64 per cent of the 14 patients in the control group developed a wound infection compared with 13 per cent of the 15 patients in the ampicillin group. Patients in the control group were discharged from hospital in a mean of 8·7 days postoperatively compared with 6·4 days in the ampicillin group (P<0·05).