Prophylactic antibiotic discontinued within 24 hours after surgery end time
Why is this important?
Any antibiotics given in the first 24 hours after surgery (48 hours after cardiac surgery) are considered “prophylactic” in the absence of a documented infection. Data reflect that the administration of antibiotics for more than a few hours after the incision is closed offers no additional benefit to the surgical patient. Prolonged administration does increase the risk of infection in some instances and could result in the patient developing a resistance to antibiotics.
How WellSpan Compares
The following graph shows the percentage of surgical patients whose prophylactic antibiotics were discontinued within 24 hours after surgery.
Unit of Measurement:
Percentage
A higher score is better than a lower score.
What we are doing to improve our performance.
| WellSpan’s Surgical Services revised orders to automatically discontinue antibiotics 24 hours after surgery. WellSpan has formed a special team, known as a “Peri-operative Services Clinical Effectiveness Team,” to work on these measures along with other interventions designed to reduce the risk of infections and other common complications after surgery. |
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