Prophylactic use of cephazolin against wound sepsis after cholecystectomy.

A trial of antibiotic prophylaxis with cephazolin against postoperative wound sepsis was carried out on 201 patients undergoing routine cholecystectomy. Wound sepsis occurred in 11 out of 65 controls (16.9%), who were not given the drug; two out of 63 patients (3.2%) given a single dose preoperatively; and four out of 73 patients (5.5%) given the single preoperative dose plus a five-day course postoperatively. The difference between the controls and patients given the single preoperative dose was significant.