Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis, patient morbidity, and cost reduction: a three-year study

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Hospital Pharmacy
• Health Economics

Background:

• Antibiotics are frequently prescribed for infection prevention in hospitals, impacting costs and inventory.
• Optimizing antibiotic utilization is crucial for cost-effectiveness and rational drug use.
• Previous antibiotic stewardship programs show variable success across institutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an infection control bulletin and formalized recommendations on physician antibiotic prescribing.
• To assess the influence of changes in antibiotic utilization on patient morbidity.
• To examine the cost-effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis in surgical settings.

Main Methods:

• A three-year study involving an infection control bulletin and formalized antibiotic utilization recommendations.
• Analysis of physician prescribing patterns for antibiotic prophylaxis.
• Review of patient records to assess morbidity outcomes.

Main Results:

• Significant cost reduction in antibiotic prophylaxis for 7 surgical groups and a trend in 21 others.
• Cost of prophylaxis increased in some surgical groups.
• Cost savings were linked to shorter prophylaxis durations and increased use of first-generation cephalosporins.
• No significant difference in patient morbidity was observed.

Conclusions:

• Targeted interventions, including bulletins and guidelines, can effectively reduce antibiotic prophylaxis costs.
• Limiting prophylaxis duration and favoring specific antibiotic classes contribute to cost savings.
• Antibiotic stewardship initiatives can be implemented without adversely affecting patient outcomes.