Oral antibiotics cut risk of SSI in colorectal CA resection

(HealthDay)—For patients undergoing left colon and rectal cancer resections, the addition of oral antibiotics to mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) is associated with a reduced rate of surgical site infections (SSIs), according to a study published online Oct. 18 in JAMA Surgery.

Elaine Vo, M.D., from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and colleagues compared patients undergoing left colon and rectal cancer resections receiving MBP and oral antibiotics (40 patients) and MBP without oral antibiotics (49 patients) to examine the association with occurrence of SSIs.

The researchers found that patients who received oral antibiotics and MBP had a lower overall SSI rate than those who received MBP only (8 versus 27 percent; P = 0.03). No deep or organ space SSIs or anastomotic leaks were seen in patients who received oral antibiotics and MBP, compared with 18 and 10 percent among patients who received MBP only (P = 0.004 and P = 0.06, respectively). Independent associations were seen for oral antibiotics and MBP and for minimally invasive surgery with reduced odds of SSI (odds ratios, 0.11 [95 percent confidence interval, 0.02 to 0.86; P = 0.04] and 0.22 [95 percent confidence interval, 0.05 to 0.89; P = 0.03]).

"The combination of oral antibiotics and MBP is associated with a significant decrease in the rate of SSIs and should be considered for patients undergoing elective left colon and rectal cancer resections," the authors write.