A clinical trial of a combination of amoxycillin and flucloxacillin in amputations for septic ischaemic lower limb lesions.

The incidence of sepsis after amputation with or without a proximal arterial reconstructive procedure in 24 patients presenting with septic ischaemic lower limb lesions and who received a parenteral combination of amoxycillin and flucloxacillin (Suprapen; Bencard) is compared with that in a similar control group of 22 patients who received antibiotics only if postoperative sepsis developed. There was no significant difference in the incidence of sepsis in the arterial reconstruction wounds. Amputation stump sepsis occurred in 33.3% of patients receiving prophylactic antibiotics compared with 72.7% of the control group. The difference is statistically significant. A similar significant difference was found among 32 patients submitted to primary amputation without an arterial reconstructive procedure. Bacteriological data are discussed.