Could a simple antibiotic cocktail before colon surgery slash infection risk?
NCT ID NCT03663504
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares two standard approaches for preparing the bowel before elective colon surgery: taking oral antibiotics (neomycin and metronidazole) the day before versus no preparation at all. The goal is to see if the antibiotics reduce surgical site infections within 30 days after surgery. About 630 adults undergoing planned colon resection are enrolled, and the results could help simplify preoperative routines.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Neomycin and Metronidazole (Flagyl) oral antibiotics
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that taking oral antibiotics alone before colon surgery reduces the risk of post-surgical infections, potentially simplifying preoperative preparation.
- What could go wrong
- This is a phase 4 trial comparing existing standards of care, so it is not testing a new breakthrough. The results may not apply to all types of colon surgery, and individual patient factors could affect outcomes.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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630 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2018
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients undergoing elective, non-emergency colon, resection surgery or abdominal perineal resection and no other requirements exists for a mechanical bowel preparation (as determined by the operating surgeon) * 18 years of age or older * Able to provide oral consent Exclusion Criteria: * Contraindication to the oral antibiotics, including allergies or adverse reactions to either metronidazole or neomycin * Undergoing a rectal resection with a planned anastomosis (these patients will all receive MBP) * Emergency surgery where no opportunity to administer preoperative oral antibiotics exists * Requirement for a MBP (i.e. rectal resection with pelvic anastomosis, intraoperative colonoscopy, or at the discretion of the treating surgeon
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Hôpital Montfort
Ottawa, Ontario, K1K 0T2, Canada
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Queensway Carleton Hospital
Ottawa, Ontario, K2H 8P4, Canada
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Renfrew Victoria Hospital
Renfrew, Ontario, K7V 1P6, Canada
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The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre
Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8M2, Canada
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The Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre
Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3A7, Canada
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University Health Network
Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada