Association of β-Lactam Allergy Documentation and Prophylactic Antibiotic Use in Surgery: A National Cross-Sectional Study of Hospitalized Patients

Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Jun 1;72(11):e872-e875. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1762.

Abstract

Alternative antibiotics for surgical prophylaxis are associated with increased adverse events and surgical site infection compared to cefazolin. In a sample of perioperative inpatients from 100 hospitals in the United States, cefazolin was 9-fold less likely to be used in patients with a documented β-lactam allergy whereas clindamycin was 45-fold more likely.

Keywords: allergy; antibiotic; surgical prophylaxis; β-lactam.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antibiotic Prophylaxis
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Documentation
  • Drug Hypersensitivity*
  • Humans
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Surgical Wound Infection / drug therapy
  • United States
  • beta-Lactams* / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • beta-Lactams