Systemic and local antibiotic prophylaxis in the prevention of prosthetic vascular graft infection: an experimental study.

Aim: to determine if local, in addition to systemic antibiotic prophylaxis (compared to that provided by systemic prophylaxis alone) provides additional benefit in terms of reducing graft infection.

Methods: gelatin-sealed Dacron grafts were interposed in the infrarenal aorta of 36 mongrels and inoculated with 1 ml of a S. aureus suspension.

Activity of silver ions in different media.

A major problem in medicine is the large number of infections associated with implanted and indwelling devices. Silver coating of medical devices is believed to preserve infection resistance. Several in vitro and animal studies as well as clinical observations on silver-nylon, silver-intramedullary pins, silver-oxide-Foley catheters and silver-coated vascular protheses have been interpreted as successful for the prophylaxis of foreign-body infections.

Comparative investigation of drug delivery of collagen implants saturated in antibiotic solutions and a sponge containing gentamicin.

Collagen implants of various structures and a gelatine sponge were placed in five different antibiotic solutions until complete saturation occurred. The antibiotics were chosen to represent different drug classes (gentamicin sulphate, cefotaxim, fusidic acid, clindamycin, vancomycin). The collagen implants saturated with antibiotic solution and a lyophilized collagen sponge containing gentamicin sulphate were eluated in 0.