A Comparative Study of Ceftizoxime and Cefazolin Prophylaxis in Upper Digestive Tract and Biliary Surgery: A Prospective Randomised Clinical Trial

In a prospective randomised multicentre study, the effects of cefazolin sodium and ceftizoxime on the prevention of postoperative infection were investigated in 117 patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Each drug was administered intravenously twice daily (cefazolin 4 g/day or ceftizoxime 2 g/day) for 5 days postoperatively. No statistically significant difference was noted in the incidence of infection between the 2 treated groups (cefazolin 11.5% and ceftizoxime 8.9%), and there were no serious adverse events in either group. The fever index was significantly higher in patients with postoperative infections when compared with noninfected individuals in both treatment groups, but showed no correlation with age, time of surgery or blood loss. In terms of cost, prophylactic treatment with cefazolin is recommended for such patients with a low level of anaerobic contamination.