Impact of local guidelines and an integrated dispensing system on antibiotic prophylaxis quality in a surgical centre

Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis is effective in preventing postoperative wound infections. Guidelines are designed to optimize antimicrobial use in this setting. The aim of this study was to assess antibiotic use in surgical prophylaxis in a surgical hospital. before and after the implementation of both local antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines and a specific medication set for various surgical procedures. The appropriateness of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis increased from 50.9% in the pre-implementation stage to 94.9% in the postimplementation stage (P < 0.001). The implementation of a multidisciplinary protocol and design of medication sets helped to improve the practice of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. (c) 2004 The Hospital. Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.