Rifamide in acute cholecystitis and biliary surgery.

Determination of the minimum inhibitory concentrations of rifamide necessary to inhibit organisms isolated from the biliary tract showed that the organisms were almost invariably sensitive to concentrations which are readily attainable in the biliary tract. Three cases of severe acute inflammation of the biliary tract were treated and this led to rapid clinical improvement. In 61 patients undergoing biliary surgery a random group was given rifamide 150 mg twice daily, beginning 24 hours before operation and continuing for three days afterwards. In the untreated group eight patients had infected bile at operation and five subsequently developed a wound infection. In the rifamide group three had infected bile at operation and only one developed a wound infection. A similar number of postoperative chest infections occurred in each group of patients. There is some evidence of reduction in length of hospital stay in the treated patients.