Combined Preoperative Antibiotic Therapy and Intraoperative Topical Povidone-Iodine

Single doses of clindamycin hydrochloride and gentamicin sulfate given preoperatively, combined with intraoperative topical application of povidone-iodine were given to patients with perforated or gangrenous appendicitis. The incidence of wound sepsis was reduced from 36% to 5%; severe infections were reduced from 25% to 0% when compared with a control untreated group of patients. When used alone, povidone-iodine had little effect in these patients. No toxic effects of the antibiotics or antiseptic were recorded nor were any resistant strains of pathogenic organisms grown from cultures.