Safety in Surgery: Evaluation of Safety and Efficiency in Use of Aminoglycosides in Acute Appendicitis

Abstract

Background: Aminoglycosides are used as empirical antibiotic treatment of intraabdominal infections which are caused by Gram negative bacteria and for which the treatment of choice is surgery. Aminoglycosides maintain good efficacy against these bacteria and reduce the need for prescribing fluoroquinolone, cephalosporin and carbapenem antibiotics which contribute to the development of resistant bacterial strains. In recent years, several clinical trials and international guidelines have advised against the use of aminoglycosides owing largely to doubts about their effectiveness and to the concern for their known nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity. Aim: In our study, we aimed to prove whether aminoglycosides are appropriate agents in the treatment of acute appendicitis. Methods: Retrospectively, patients with acute appendicitis we included in the trial. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, clinical signs and symptoms, the type of antibiotic and surgical treatment were analyzed. The effect of independent variables on the occurrence of complications was calculated using Student’s T-test and Fisher’s precise test. The effect of aminoglycosides on the loss of kidney function was determined by means of a linear regression method. Results: 300 patients proved acute appendicitis were included in the study. Univariate statistical analysis showed that the risk factors for postoperative complications in treating acute appendicitis were: age over 76 years (p < 0.001), acute perforated appendicitis (p = 0.03573) and appendicitis with periappendiceal infection (p = 0.01253), the presence of cardiovascular (p < 0.001), pulmonary (p = 0.00339), and kidney (p < 0.001) diseases, and no an achieved ASA group of IV (p < 0.001). Treatment with aminoglycosides did not influence the occurrence of postoperative complications (p = 0.3135). Multivariate statistical analysis showed that aminoglycosides did not have a statistically significant effect on the decrease of glomerular filtration rate. Conclusion: Aminoglycoside antibiotics are a safe and effective treatment of acute appendicitis; our not published data are positive of AGs use in acute cholecystitis and left colon diverticulitis which requires surgery. If used for a limited time period, they do not increase the risk for kidney injury and remain a stable low level of all over complications.