The effect of cephalothin prophylaxis on postoperative ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections.

Abstract

Postoperative infection is an important complication after insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt in children with hydrocephalus. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study was performed to determine the efficacy of cephalothin in preventing postoperative shunt infection. Sixty-three children who presented for elective VP shunt insertion between January 1982 and December 1985 and who did not have a history of shunt infections were randomly assigned to receive four doses of prophylactic cephalothin, 25 mg/kg (32 patients), or of a multivitamin placebo (31 patients). Postoperative infection developed in 6% of the treatment group, compared with 10% of the placebo group, a difference that was not statistically significant, although a clinical significance may have been masked by the small sample size. A large multicentre trial is needed to determine the efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis in reducing the incidence of postoperative VP shunt infections.

• Authors: M J Rieder, T C Frewen, R F Del Maestro, A Coyle, S Lovell
• Journal: CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne (CMAJ) Vol. 136 Issue 9 Pg. 935-8 (May 01 1987) ISSN: 0820-3946 [Print] Canada
• PMID: 3552176 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)

Chemical References

• Cephalothin

Topics

• Bacterial Infections (prevention & control)
• Cephalothin (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Double-Blind Method
• Female
• Humans
• Hydrocephalus (surgery)
• Infant
• Infant, Newborn
• Male
• Peritoneal Cavity
• Premedication
• Random Allocation
• Surgical Wound Infection (prevention & control)