1989 Volume 37 Issue 4 Pages 440-445
A prospective randomized study was performed to compare the safety and efficacy of cefotiam with those of cefpiramide for prophylaxis in 100 patients undergoing elective biliary tract surgery from April 1986 till November 1987. Patients were allocated at random to receive an intravenous dose of 2 g of either cefotiam or cefpiramide at the beginning of surgery. The intravenous dose of cefotiam was continued at 1 g every 8 hours and of cefpiramide every 12 hours for 4 days postoperatively. Of the 100 patients, 5 were withdrawn because the operations performed were not concerned with this study. The incidence of postoperative infection was higher in the cefotiam group (n=46) than in the cefpiramide group (n=49), but no significant difference (P<0.1) was recognized.
There was also no significant difference in the rate of side effects between the two groups. Cefpiramide twice a day is thus more useful than cefotiam three times a day in preventing postoperative infections following biliary tract surgery.
