Background: Although there is consensus in the international literature on the benefits of using perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP), there is still considerable scope for improving its use in many hospitals.
Materials and methods: In this study, data on the practice of PAP were recorded in eight German hospitals within the framework of a prospective controlled interventional study for the surveillance and prevention of nosocomial infections.
Results: A total of 627 surgical procedures (appendectomies, other colorectal procedures, total prosthetic hip replacement) were assessed; 397 with PAP and 224 without PAP; six procedures could not be evaluated. Of the 397 PAP recorded, only 180 (45.3%) were performed correctly in accordance with international standards as a preoperative single dose (19/59 PAP in appendectomies, 72/188 PAP in other colorectal procedures, 89/150 PAP in total prosthetic hip replacement).
Conclusion: There is still great uncertainty regarding the point in time at which PAP should be administered and its duration. Additional efforts are necessary to improve PAP in accordance with published evidence-based guidelines.