A comparison of dicloxacillin and ampicillin in the antibiotic prophylaxis of total hip replacement.

The effect of two semi-synthetic penicillins, dicloxacillin and ampicillin was compared in systemic antibiotic prophylaxis in total hip replacement patients. The drugs were given in routine oral dosage for eight days to two patient groups each consisting of 50 patients. There was no fatality. In the ampicillin group there were three staphylococcal infections but no infections in the dicloxacillin group. Two of the infections occurred in reapplication cases leading to the loosening of the prosthesis. One infection appeared after a primary operation with a superficial recurrence 10 months later. In the ampicillin group, side effects were diagnosed in 12 cases and in the dicloxacillin group in one case.