Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 19, 2026

A Novel Method to Determine the Longitudinal Antibacterial Activity of Drug-Eluting Materials
06:18

A Novel Method to Determine the Longitudinal Antibacterial Activity of Drug-Eluting Materials

Published on: March 3, 2023

Variation in prophylactic antibiotic use in pediatric orthopedic surgery

M C Nahata, C B Winters, D A Powell

    Drug Intelligence & Clinical Pharmacy
    |November 1, 1985
    PubMed

    Insights

    Pediatric orthopedic surgery antibiotic prophylaxis often exceeds recommended durations and doses, increasing risks. Adhering to established guidelines can optimize prophylactic antibiotic use in pediatric patients.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery
    • Infectious Disease Prevention
    • Pharmacology

    Background:

    • Prophylactic antibiotic use is common in pediatric orthopedic surgery.
    • Current practices may not align with optimal dosing and duration guidelines.
    • Potential for adverse effects and increased costs exists with suboptimal prophylaxis.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To evaluate the patterns of prophylactic antibiotic administration in pediatric orthopedic surgery.
    • To identify deviations from recommended practices in antibiotic timing, duration, and dosage.
    • To provide recommendations for improving antibiotic prophylaxis protocols.

    Main Methods:

    • Retrospective chart review of 52 pediatric patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.
    • Analysis of antibiotic administration records, including timing, drug choice, dosage, and duration.
    • Comparison of administered doses against established therapeutic guidelines.

    Main Results:

    • Antibiotics were administered to 50 of 52 patients, with 43 receiving them pre-surgery.
    • Most patients (38) received antibiotics within two hours pre-surgery.
    • 31 patients received postoperative antibiotics for over 48 hours without documented infection.
    • Commonly used antibiotics were cephapirin and/or cefazolin.
    • One-third of patients exceeded recommended daily doses (mg/kg/day) due to fixed gram dosages.

    Conclusions:

    • Prophylactic antibiotic use in pediatric orthopedic surgery requires optimization.
    • Current practices indicate potential for overuse in duration and exceeding recommended doses.
    • Adherence to Centers for Disease Control guidelines is recommended for hospital policy development pending further controlled study data.

    Related Concept Videos

    Pharmaceutical Alternatives: Stability-Related Therapeutic Nonequivalence01:22

    Pharmaceutical Alternatives: Stability-Related Therapeutic Nonequivalence

    Generic intravenous (IV) drugs are considered bioequivalent to their branded counterparts due to their 100% bioavailability upon administration. However, variations in stability among different drug products can significantly influence their therapeutic performance, even if they are pharmaceutically equivalent.Cefuroxime, a prophylactic antimicrobial, is often used as a single-dose IV injection for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. A 3 g dose typically provides...
    Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

    Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

    Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

    Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

    Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight, compared...
    Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA01:25

    Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA

    Antibiotic resistance in bacteria arises when microorganisms evolve the ability to withstand drugs designed to kill them or inhibit their growth, rendering once-effective treatments useless. This phenomenon, driven by genetic change and selection under antibiotic exposure, poses a profound threat to modern medicine. Mechanisms include drug-inactivating enzymes (e.g., β-lactamases), efflux pumps that eject antibiotics, mutations altering antibiotic targets, decreased drug uptake, and acquisition...
    Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance01:25

    Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

    Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within the One...