A comparison between amoxycillin/clavulanate and mezlocillin in abdominal surgical prophylaxis.

A randomized comparative study was conducted to evaluate the clinical efficacy of amoxycillin/clavulanate (Augmentin) compared with mezlocillin for the prevention of wound infection in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. There was no difference in overall wound infection rates between the amoxycillin/clavulanate treated group and the mezlocillin group. When sub-groups were examined for total infections no significant difference was seen between antibiotic groups in patients undergoing clean/potentially contaminated operations or contaminated operations, although more deep infections were encountered in the amoxycillin/clavulanate group in comparison with the mezlocillin group, in contaminated operations. The type of operation performed also failed to show any difference in those patients undergoing upper gastro-intestinal, appendiceal, colonic, or biliary operations. The infections in those receiving amoxycillin/clavulanate were largely of bowel origin and predominantly sensitive to amoxycillin/clavulanate. Those in the mezlocillin group were predominantly staphylococcal in origin. Amoxycillin/clavulanate appears to be an effective antibiotic for use as a single agent in surgical prophylaxis.