NEW DELHI, May 4:
Antibiotics given before and during surgery should be discontinued immediately after a patient’s incision is closed, according to updated recommendations for preventing surgical site infections given by US researchers.
The researchers found no evidence that continuing antibiotics after a patient’s incision has been closed, even if it has drains, prevents surgical site infections. Continuing antibiotics does increase the patient’s risk of C. Difficile infection, which causes severe diarrhea, and antimicrobial resistance, they said.
The update, published in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, provides evidence-based strategies for preventing infections for all types of surgeries from top experts from five medical organizations led by the Society for health care Epidemiology of America.
“Many surgical site infections are preventable,” said Michael S. Calderwood, lead author on the updated guidelines and Chief Quality Officer at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, US.
“Ensuring that health care personnel know, utilise, and educate others on evidence-based prevention practices is essential to keeping patients safe during and after their surgeries,” Calderwood said.
Surgical site infections are among the most common and costly health care-associated infections, occurring in approximately one per cent to three per cent of patients undergoing inpatient surgery, according to the researchers.
Patients with surgical site infections are up to 11 times more likely to die compared to patients without such infections, they said.
The study also recommends health care personnel to obtain a full allergy history from patients who self-report penicillin allergy.
For high-risk procedures, especially orthopedic and cardiothoracic surgeries, they must decolonise patients with an anti-staphylococcal agent in the pre-operative setting, the researchers said.
For patients with an elevated blood glucose level, the personnel are advised to monitor and maintain post-operative blood glucose levels between 110 and 150 mg/dL regardless of diabetes status, they said.
The resaerchers also recommend using antimicrobial prophylaxis before elective colorectal surgery and considering negative-pressure dressings, especially for abdominal surgery or joint arthroplasty patients. (PTI)
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