Controlled trial and cost/efficacy evaluation of the prevention of infectious complications in surgery of cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract with peri-operative cefoxitin

Major surgery of the cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract involves a high risk of post operative infection. We report the results of a clinical controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and the cost of the prevention of post operative infections by peri operative cefoxitin. These results show a significant difference in favor of the treated group when considering the local infection rate (15% versus 80%) the length of healing, as well as the direct costs related to the antibiotherapy. These results have been confirmed by a further study.