Antibiotic prophylaxis for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in pediatric patients: a meta-analysis

Purpose To investigate if Antibiotic Prophylaxis (AP) can prevent wound and/or systemic infection in pediatric patients who underwent Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG). Methods PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) and Observational Studies that compared AP vs. no Intervention (NI) in children submitted to PEG. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were pooled with random-effect models. Quality assessment and risk of bias were performed as outlined by Cochrane recommendations. Results Four studies, including one RCT, with a total of 568 patients were included, in which 230 (40.5%) individuals received AP. The use of AP during PEG reduced the incidence of systemic infection (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.24–0.90; p = 0.02; I 2 = 0). However, no statistical difference was found for wound infection (OR 0.85; 95% CI 0.43–1.69; p = 0.64; I 2 = 12%) and for the composite outcome of any kind of infection (OR 0.74; 95% CI 0.13–4.06; p = 0.73; I 2 = 67%). Conclusion In this pooled analysis of 568 infants who underwent PEG, the use of AP reduced the incidence of systemic infection. Our results were compatible with findings obtained in the adult population. No differences were found regarding wound infection or the composite outcome of any kind of infection.