Role of Intravenous Cefuroxime Antibiotic Prophylaxis in the Prevention of Surgical Site Infection in Open Mesh Inguinal Hernia Repair

Abstract

Objective: To compare pre-operative intravenous Cefuroxime prophylaxis to no prophylaxis regarding the development of surgical site infection in inguinal hernia mesh repair. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Surgery, Combined Military Hospital, Bahawalnager Pakistan, from Nov 2015 to Nov 2017. Methodology: A total of 230 patients were included (115 patients in each group). Group-A patients were subjected to preoperative administration of 1.5 gm intravenous Cefuroxime 1 hour before surgery, while Group B patients were subjected to no antibiotic prophylaxis following mesh repair. Development of post-operative surgical site infection (SSI) was checked till the 30th post-operative day (POD). Results: Post-operative surgical site infection was comparatively less in Group-A (3.4%) as compared to Group-B (10.4%), which was statistically significant (p-value0.038). Conclusion: Pre-operative intravenous Cefuroxime prophylaxis significantly reduces post-operative SSI following mesh inguinal hernia repair.

Keywords

• Mesh inguinal hernia repair
• Pre-operative cefuroxime administration
• Surgical (SSI)
• Wound Infection (WI)