One day versus seven days of preventive antibiotic therapy in orthopedic surgery

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Nelson CL. Green TG. Porter RA. Warren RD. Clinical Orthopaedics & Related Research. [JC:dfy] (176):258-63, 1983 Jun. Three hundred fifty-eight patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty, total knee arthroplasty, and hip fracture repair were given preventive antibiotics 20 minutes before surgery; administration of antibiotics was continued for either 24 hours or seven days. The 24-hour group (186 operations) had three (1.6%) deep wound infections. The difference in infection rates between groups was not significant.