Bowel preparation may not be needed for elective colectomy
US and Europe have differing approaches
20th August 2019
Mechanical and oral antibiotic bowel preparation does not reduce surgical site infections and morbidity after elective colectomy, a European study suggests.
In the first randomised controlled trial on the topic, researchers from four hospitals in Finland randomised 396 patients assigned to either bowel preparation or no bowel preparation before elective colon resection.
Patients allocated to bowel preparation drank 2L of polyethylene glycol and 1L of clear fluid and took 2g each of neomycin and metronidazole on the