Adherence to surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis: “checking-the-box” is not enough

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis administration practices in a small cohort and assess compliance with national guidelines. Design/methodology/approach: Patients that developed surgical site infections (SSI) in a tertiary care academic medical center over a two-year period were identified. Their electronic medical records were reviewed for compliance with national guidelines with respect to surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. Findings: Over a two-year period, 283 SSI patients were identified. An appropriate antibiotic was chosen in 80 percent, an appropriate dose was administered in 45 percent and timing complied in 89 percent. The antibiotics were appropriately re-dosed in only 9.2 percent in whom the requirement was met. The prescribing guidelines were adhered to in entirety in only 54 patients (23.8 percent). Practical implications: Timely and appropriate antibiotic administration prior to surgery is essential to prevent SSI. Proper diligence is required to accomplish this task effectively. Originality/value: Based on the findings, it appears that merely, “checking a box” for antibiotic administration during surgery is not enough, and a multidisciplinary approach should be followed to ensure “appropriate” antibiotic administration.