Perioperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis—Indications and Modalities for the Prevention of Postoperative Wound Infection

Postoperative surgical site infections (SSI) account for almost 25% of all nosocomial infections in Germany and are a source of increased morbidity and mortality.

This review is based on pertinent publications retrieved by a selective search in PubMed and on national and international guidelines.

The individual risk factors for SSI must be assessed before any surgical procedure. A body-mass index above 30 kg/m2 is associated with an unadjusted risk ratio of 1.35 [1.28; 1.41] for SSI, which rises to 3.29 [2.99; 3.62] if the patient is also immunosuppressed. The risk of SSI is also significantly higher with certain types of procedure. Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP) is clearly indicated for operations that carry a high risk of SSI (e.g., colorectal surgery) and for those that involve the implantation of alloplastic material (e.g., hip endoprostheses). PAP can usually be administered with basic antibiotics such as cefazoline. The basic principles of PAP are that it should be given by the anesthesia team in the interval from 60 minutes preoperatively up to shortly before the incision, and that its administration should only be for a short period of time, usually as a single shot. Continuing PAP onward into the postoperative period leads to increased toxicity, bacterial superinfections, and antibiotic resistance.

The evidence shows that perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis is a component of a bundle of measures that can help prevent SSI. Strict indications and adherence to the basic principles of PAP are essential for therapeutic success.