[Antibioprophylaxy in hand surgery: toward a professional consensus]

Antibioprophylaxy in surgery follows, in France, the guidelines published by the French Society of Anesthesia [Société française d'Anesthésie et reanimation (SFAR)]. However these guidelines were mostly made for prosthetic and traumatologic surgery of the lower limb and guidelines for upper limb and hand surgery have been made by extrapolation. The French Society for Surgery of the hand has made multiples studies including: a survey to precise the infection rate for hand surgery which has been estimated to be around 0.1%. A search in the international literature, according to the classification criteria proposed by the "Agence Nationale D'accréditation et d'Evaluation Sanitaire (ANAES)" to better define correct antibioprophylaxy that should be used in hand surgery. Results of those surveys have been presented by national experts at the French Society Meeting of 2003. The attendance was given the opportunity to answer questions from the experts. A jury was present and its conclusion are reported here. Except for total wrist prosthesis and for surgical procedures that last more than 2 hours, there are very few indications for an antibioprophylaxy in hand surgery. In cases where an antibioprophylaxy is needed, the jury recommends that the guidelines proposed by the SFAR, regarding the choice of antibiotics, should be followed.