Short-term cefotaxime prophylaxis reduces the failure rate in lower limb

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amputations [published erratum appears in Acta Orthop Scand 1991 Oct;62(5):509]. Norlin R. Fryden A. Nilsson L. Ansehn S. Acta Orthopaedica Scandinavica. [JC:1go] 61(5):460-2, 1990 Oct. The effect of prophylaxis with a broad-spectrum antibiotic agent in lower limb amputations was studied in a prospective, randomized investigation of 38 patients. Nineteen received cefotaxime (Claforan) and 19 served as controls. Three patients died in the immediate post-operative period. In the treatment group, 15/18 healed compared with 10/17 controls (P less than 0.001). We concluded that short-term cefotaxime prophylaxis increases the chances to achieve good stump healing.