Antibiotics Use Practices in Otology Procedures: A Nationwide Survey Study

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Infectious Diseases
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Antibiotic prophylaxis is crucial in preventing surgical site infections.
• Current antibiotic prescribing patterns in otologic surgery lack standardization.
• Variability in practice may lead to suboptimal outcomes or antimicrobial resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess current antibiotic prophylaxis practices in otologic surgery across the United States.
• To identify variations in antibiotic prescribing based on specific ear surgical procedures.
• To inform the development of evidence-based guidelines for antibiotic use in otologic procedures.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing a nationwide survey.
• Survey distributed to members of the American Neurotology Society (ANS).
• Assessed antibiotic prescribing for cochlear implantation, tympanoplasty, cholesteatoma surgery, and stapedectomy.

Main Results:

• A 15.21% response rate from 73 surgeons was achieved.
• Antibiotic prescribing varied by procedure, ranging from 23.3% for clean tympanoplasty to 64.4% for cochlear implantation.
• Cephalosporins were favored for noninfected procedures, while amoxicillin was common for active infections.

Conclusions:

• Significant variation exists in prophylactic antibiotic use for otologic surgery.
• Higher antibiotic usage was observed in procedures involving active infection.
• Standardized, evidence-based recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis in ear surgery are needed.