Principles and practice of antibiotic therapy for post-traumatic abdominal injuries.

Improved surgical techniques, the use of modern antibiotics and better understanding of the microbiologic characteristics of abdominal sepsis have lead to a satisfying clinical outcome in instances of abdominal trauma which once meant almost certain death. Yet many questions remain unanswered. Future development of several newer antibiotics may further improve the rate of complications. A study of host defense mechanisms may provide additional clues to prevent long term morbidity. Hopefully, future studies will encourage the use of a single antibiotic in the treatment of abdominal trauma. While the newer antibiotics are being investigated, certain older antibiotics, such as penicillin, chloramphenicol and tetracycline, merit additional evaluation under controlled, prospective, randomized, comparative clinical trials.