Comparison of two antimicrobial regimens on the prevalence of incisional infections after colic surgery

摘要

The success rates of treatment of surgical colic in horses have improved over the past 20 years, with survival rates of up to 87.2 per cent reported. However, complications after colic surgery are still an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Postoperative incisional infections are reported to be one of the most common short-term complications following exploratory coeliotomy in horses.The use of perioperative antimicrobial therapy has markedly reduced the incisional complication rate following surgery. However, the duration of antimicrobial prophylaxis remains a controversial issue and will become more so as multiresistant pathogens become more prevalent. Guidelines for the judicious use of antimicrobial therapy recommend that antimicrobial drugs should be administered for the shortest effective period possible to prevent the development of resistant pathogens.