Single-dose versus short-course antibiotic prophylaxis in laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis: a retrospective cohort study

To date, data on effectiveness of different antibiotic prophylaxis protocols on surgical site infections (SSI) after laparoscopic right colectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis (LRC-IA) are scarce. The aim of this double-centers retrospective study was to compare 30-day Organ/Space Surgical Site Infections (OS-SSI) and Superficial Surgical Site Infections (S-SSI) rates following LRC-IA in elective low-risk patients with one shot (SSp) vs. short perioperative (STp) antibiotic prophylaxis. From January 2018 to December 2021, 80 patients underwent LRC-IA. 38 and 42 patients were submitted to one shot and short perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis, defined as Group SSp and Group STp. Data on baseline characteristics, ASA-PS score and comorbidity index, and intraoperative and short-term postoperative outcomes were retrospectively collected and analyzed. The cohorts were comparable in terms of baseline demographic characteristics. 1 (2.7%) and 3 (7.14%) developed OS-SSI within 30 days after surgery both in SSp and STp groups, respectively ( p = 0.573); 3 of SSp group (8.11%) developed radiologically confirmed nosocomial pneumonia and 1 of them (2.63%) developed extended panniculitis; on the other hand, no pneumonitis or panniculitis was diagnosed. In terms of secondary outcomes 13.41% and 11.9% developed S-SSI within 30 days after surgery in groups SSp and STp, respectively; in SSp group, 2 patients (5.41%) developed D-SSI. Both strategies have similar impact on both OS-SSI and S-SSI in elective low-risk patients undergoing LRC-IA. Further multicenter randomized studies are needed to support our results.