In complicated appendicitis cases, routine post-operative antibiotics did not help reduce infections in a recent study conducted at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute and Olive View-UCLA Medical Center.
Researchers who conducted the study examined the outcomes for 410 adults with complicated appendectomies over a span of five years. Of these patients, post-operative antibiotics were administered to 274 people, or nearly 67 percent. The study compared patients who received post-operative antibiotics to those who had not received the medications.
Highlighted below are five things to know about the study and its findings.
1. Complicated appendicitis was defined as a finding of a gangrenous or perforated appendix during surgery.
2. Complications may occur in as many as one-third of patients with acute appendicitis, according to the researchers.
3. The study revealed no considerable difference in infections or wound complications among the two groups.
4. Patients who received post-operative antibiotics stayed in the hospital for slightly longer — about one day longer, on average — than those who didn't receive the medication.
5. Given the findings, lead research Dennis Y. Kim, MD, concludes antibiotics may not be necessary following surgery for complicated appendicitis.
"Antibiotics are not without risks, costs or complications," said Dr. Kim. "While further study is needed, surgeons and physicians may wish to re-examine or be more selective in deciding which patients may potentially benefit from post-operative antibiotic therapy for complicated appendicitis."
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