Surgical Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Compliance in Turkey: Data from the Prospective, Observational, Multicenter Survey...

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Surgical Care
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) involves peri-operative antibiotic administration to prevent surgical site infections.
• Compliance rates for SAP vary globally, with previous Turkish studies indicating rates below 35%.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the adherence to SAP guidelines in Turkey, focusing on antibiotic class, timing, duration, and discharge prescriptions.
• To determine the overall full compliance rate with SAP procedures across various Turkish hospitals.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter, prospective, observational study involving 7,646 patients across 47 hospitals in Turkey.
• Data collection occurred between June 6-10, 2022, analyzing antibiotic choice, administration timing, and prophylaxis duration.

Main Results:

• Cefazolin was the most frequently used SAP antibiotic (61.5%), with most administrations occurring within 60 minutes pre-surgery.
• SAP duration was less than 24 hours in 50.7% of patients; however, 21.7% had prolonged prophylaxis until discharge.
• Overall SAP compliance was 19%, significantly impacted by the 58.3% of patients receiving oral antibiotics at discharge.

Conclusions:

• Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis compliance rates remain alarmingly low in Turkey.
• Key factors contributing to non-compliance include prolonged SAP duration and a high incidence of antibiotic prescriptions at discharge.