cefoxitin and Respiratory-Tract-Neoplasms

Twenty-three patients (22 male and 1 female) aged 41 to 70 years (mean age 56.4 years) with cancer of the upper respiratory and digestive tracts were entered into the study prior to a major surgical procedure involving incision of cervical mucous membranes. Participants were randomly assigned either to a control group (10 patients) which received no routine intra or postoperative antibiotics, or to a treatment group (13 patients) given cefoxitin perioperatively. Treated patients were given 30 mg/kg cefoxitin intravenously over 30 mn, one hour before surgery was begun, and 30 mg/kg over one hour, 3 hours and 6 hours after the initial infusion was started. Rate of local infection was 80% (8/10) and 15% (2/10) in the control group and treated group respectively (p less than 0.001). In addition, a significant difference in rates of local complications was found: 7 disjunctions and/or fistulae or pharyngostomes in the control group against one suppuration with disjunction in the treated group. In the treated group, a mean 24.6 day reduction in time lapse to cicatrization was observed. Fever greater than or equal to 39 degrees C occurring or persisting beyond the 48th postoperative hour was also significantly more frequent in the control group (7/10 versus 3/13). In contrast, no significant difference was found between rates of other infectious localizations. Local bacterial flora recovered in both groups before and/or after surgery was unremarkable and prophylactic cefoxitin selected no particular pathogens.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Bacterial Infections; Cefoxitin; Digestive System Neoplasms; Drug Evaluation; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Postoperative Complications; Respiratory Tract Neoplasms