Introduction: The role of prophylactic antibiotics in elective surgical procedures in preventing surgical site infections has been well documented, however, their need continues to be ambiguous. Aim: To evaluate the role of prophylactic cefotaxime therapy in the prevention of surgical site infection in elective surgery and its side effects Materials and Methods: 100 patients undergoing elective surgery were enrolled in the study after taking informed consent. They were divided into two groups of 50 each. Group A patients (control group) did not receive any preoperative, intraoperative or postoperative antibiotics whatsoever, and Group B patients (study group) received a single dose of intravenous cefotaxime half and hour prior to the induction of anaesthesia. The severity of wound infection was graded according to Robertson’s Classification into grades 0-IV. Culture and sensitivity was done for the presence of pus. Results: Of the 100 patients in the study, 7% patients developed surgical site infection. However with the administration of prophylactic antibiotics the rate of post-operative infection fell from 7(14%) to 0% (p<0.001). The duration of hospital stay was prolonged in patients that did not receive prophylactic antibiotics. Conclusion: The use of cefotaxime as a prophylactic antibiotic is a cost effective method in preventing wound infection following clean, elective surgical procedures.