Comparing the Effectiveness of Vancomycin and Cefazolin in Preventing Post craniotomy Surgical Site Infections

Surgical Site Infection (SSI) after neurosurgical procedures is one of the most common types of hospital infection, on which different results have been reported regarding the effect of antibiotic use. This present study investigated the effect of vancomycin and cefazolin in preventing SSI after elective craniotomy.

The present double-blind interventional clinical trial. Which was done among 126 participants (63 vancomycin group and 63 cefazolin group). The criterion for measuring wound infection was CRP (C-reactive protein) and ESR (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate) on the first and fifth day after surgery, patient's clinical symptoms and wound. Data were analyzed with Chi-square and Independent t-test.

In total, two groups of 9 people got infections after surgery, among which 6 people (67%) were in the cefazolin group and 3 people (33%) were in the vancomycin group. The mean CRP on the first and fifth days in the cefazolin group was significantly higher than the vancomycin group. There were no significant differences in the study groups in terms of length of hospitalization after infection, interval between surgery and time of infection, ESR at the time of infection, length of operation (hours), type of infection and type of organism.

According to the results, there was no difference between the use of cefazolin and vancomycin in reducing the rate of surgical site infection. The rate of surgical site infection in in this study was higher compared to the results of other studies.