Antimicrobial Prophylaxis in Surgery: A Cross Sectional Study

Approximately 33 percent of patients receive an antimicrobial drug during hospitalization and about 33 percent of this group receive the drugs for surgical prophylaxis. The relatively common use of antimicrobial drugs for prophylaxis in hospital practice prompted a more detailed analysis. In this cross sectional study we monitored 245 patients undergoing surgical operation and investigated whether the patient received antimicrobial prophylaxis. If so which antibiotic has been chosen, timing of administiration, administiration route and duration of prophylaxis were followed. Antimicrobial prophylaxis was given to 26% of the clean surgical procedures, 69% of the clean-contaminated surgical procedures and 63% of the contaminated surgical procedures. Cefazolin was the most common chosen antibiotic (38 procedures). The percentage of early operative antibiotic prophylaxis was 24%, preoperative 22%, perioperative 13% and postoperative 41%. A single dose was given to the 9% of the patients, 19% of the patients received antibiotic prophylaxis for 24 hours and 71% received more than 24 hours. IV administiration used in 74%, peroral administiration in 22% and IM in 4%. The percentage of the patients that were given preoperative antibiotic, (IV administiration and not exceeded 24 hours) that were recommended by many authors was only 9%. Although inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents for surgical prophylaxis is very high, we may overcome this problem by getting the appropriate antibiotics in stocks in the operating room, preparing prophylaxis protocols and by contuinuous education

Investigation of Antimicrobial Drug Administration by Nurses at Akdeniz University Medical Faculty Hospital

Antimicrobial drugs are among the most commonly used drugs and they are often misused. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of nurses about preparation and administration of drugs and to analyse nurse’s observation sheets and doctor orders in Akdeniz University Medical Faculty Hospital. Data was collected from the patients who were receiving antimicrobial agents, nurse’s observation sheets, doctor orders and from the questionnaire forms which were filled by the nurses. When we compare the nurse observation sheets and doctor orders, we found that 24.1% of the antimicrobial drugs (n= 70) was not used properly. The most important problems were administration of different antimicrobial agents simultaneously. Another problem was dosage and timing of administration was not noted exactly at doctors orders. Development of policies for rational and appropriate antimicrobial drug usage and education of doctors and nurses will be beneficial