[Evaluation of antibiotic prophylaxis in surgery]

Area of Science:

• Surgical Infection Prevention
• Hospital Quality Improvement
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Antibiotic prophylaxis is crucial for preventing surgical site infections.
• Compliance with established guidelines ensures optimal efficacy.
• Monitoring adherence to antibiotic prophylaxis protocols is essential in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the adherence to antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines during surgical procedures.
• To identify specific areas of non-compliance in a university referral hospital setting.

Main Methods:

• A prospective descriptive study was conducted on 257 patients undergoing elective clean or clean-contaminated surgery.
• Data on antibiotic administration timing, dosage, and spectrum were collected by anesthesiologists.
• Correct prophylaxis was defined by pre-incision administration, timely second doses for long procedures, and appropriate antibiotic spectrum.

Main Results:

• Over half of patients (51.4%) received incorrect antibiotic prophylaxis.
• Common errors included administration after skin incision (21.8%) and failure to administer a second dose during surgeries longer than 240 minutes (15.6%).
• Other errors involved inadequate antibiotic spectrum and incorrect dosing.

Conclusions:

• A high rate of non-compliance with antibiotic prophylaxis was observed.
• Late antibiotic administration and missed second doses during prolonged surgeries are significant issues.
• Assigning responsibility for antibiotic prophylaxis to anesthesiologists and direct intraoperative monitoring is proposed to improve compliance.