Role of single dose antibiotic prophylaxis in prevention of wound infection following lichtenstein inguinal hernioplasty: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Background: Inguinal hernia is one of commonest condition encountered in clinical practice. Mesh repair is becoming the most popular technique for repair of inguinal hernia. The use of antibiotic prophylaxis for clean surgical procedure such as inguinal hernia surgery is controversial.

Methods: All patients above 18 years of age with primary unilateral inguinal hernia over 14 months period were enrolled. Patients were randomized into 2 groups. Patients with antibiotic prophylaxis group were administered intravenous antibiotic at the induction of anesthesia or just before the incision if operated under local anesthesia (group 1); patients with no antibiotic prophylaxis group were administered sterile normal saline intravenously at the same time (group 2). After Lichtenstein inguinal hernioplasty, patients were followed up twice at 7-9 days and 28-42 days to assess surgical site infection, persistent pain, chronic sinus, testicular atrophy and recurrence if any as final outcome of treatment.

Results: Total of sixty patients (59 male and 1 female), thirty in each group were enrolled. During the first follow up, 1 patient (3.3%) developed wound infection from group 2 where as none of the patients developed wound infection (0%) from group 1. During the second follow up, none of the patients from both the groups had any complication.

Conclusion: Inguinal hernia surgery is a clean operation. There is no benefit of intravenous single dose antibiotic prophylaxis in the prevention of wound infection following Lichtenstein inguinal hernioplasty in patients with no other co-morbid conditions.

Nepal Journal of Medical Sciences | Volume 02 | Number 02 | July-December 2013 | Page 108-113

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njms.v2i2.8952