Abstract
Application of antibiotics only after operation is not sufficient for the expectation of complete freedom from post-operative complications. While, the sterility of pharyngeal tube and gastro-intestinal tract is considered to be an ideal condition for surgical operations. In this connection, studies were made on the method of the application of antibiotics.
First of all, a statistical observations were made on the pulmonary complications of the abdominal operations. During a period of 6 years and 5 months from January 1954 to May 1960, there were 70 cases of pulmonary complications out of the total 2, 093 cases of abdominal operations, namely, the rate of complication was 3.3%. Pulmonary complications were predominant among the patients of epigastric operations, especiallp, gastric cancer with a rate of 6.3%. More cases of complication were found in the age groups younger than 7 years old and older than 60 years old. And, the rate of pulmonary complication was especially high when children were anesthetized by ether open drop method.
Based on the findings of statistical observations stated above, an investigation was made on the influence of Achromycin, Irotycin, Chloromycetin, Flagiomycin, Penicillin etc on the bacterial count of pharyngeal tube and gastro-intestinal tract. As the result of this investigation, the use of an antibiotic was found to inhibit bacterial growth at the time of operation. Generally speaking, however, there was a growth stronger than that before operation on the 3 rd day after operation neces-sitating the use of antibiotics at least for 3 days after operation. It was concluded, moreover, that a combination of 2 or 3 kinds of antibiotics is preferable to the administration of only one kind.
Recently, it was become a fashion to apply mild anesthesia after operation in order to alleviate pain. But, this practice has given a rise in the rate of the incidences of pulmonary complication. Use of antibiotics may guarantee the safety application of this post-operative anesthesia.
