• Otolaryngologists have increased their use of parenteral prophylactic antibiotics to prevent toxic shock syndrome following nasal surgery. This rare but potentially serious postoperative complication presumably requires nasal carriage of a toxigenic strain of Staphylococcus aureus by a susceptible patient. We investigated the effect of a single preoperative dose of intravenous cefazolin on nasal carriage of S aureus. Thirty patients were studied; 15 were S aureus carriers initially and 12 (80%) remained culture positive after prophylaxis and at the time surgery was completed. We conclude that this particular regimen is unlikely to have a major effect on the incidence of toxic shock syndrome following nasal surgery.
(Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1988;114:326-327)