Does the use of perioperative antibiotics at the time of cleft palate repair affect the rate of postoperative fistula?

Objectives: Assess whether post-operative antibiotic prophylaxis affected the incidence of oronasal fistula formation in cleft palate patients.

Materials and Methods: In the first cycle, there were two groups (A and B). In group A, the patients had antibiotics on induction and 24 hours after, in group B, the patients had further antibiotics for a week. Our work from the cleft collective showed no evidence of change in fistula rates in relation to the antibiotic regime. Therefore, group A surgeon changed practice had antibiotics only on induction and group B remained the same from the first cycle.

Results: In cycle 1, we found little evidence to suggest a difference in fistula rate between the use of an antibiotic regimen as binary variables: Grp A(P=0.171) and Grp B (P=0.69). Cycle 2 also demonstrated the following: Grp A (P=0.557) and Grp B(P=0.443).

Conclusion: The use of antibiotics and differing regimes, postoperatively do not influence the incidence of postoperative fistulae in cleft palate.