Assessment of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in general surgery: A comparative study

Background: Prolonged recovery is often due to surgical site infections and other complications. This study examines the impact of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis on surgical outcomes to potentially lessen postoperative morbidity. Patients and Methods: This study involved a prospective review of 1,000 adults scheduled for elective general surgery. Participants were divided into two groups: those who received preoperative antibiotics (group A) and those who did not (group B). The research compared demographics, surgical details, infection occurrences, wound issues, and hospital stay durations between the groups, calculating relative risks. Results: At the outset, the two groups were comparable. Group A experienced significantly fewer surgical site infections (8% vs. 14%) and wound complications (6% vs. 10%) compared with group B, irrespective of the type of surgery performed. The analysis of relative risk ratios uniformly indicated advantages for group A. Although the average hospital stay was marginally shorter for group A (7 days vs. 8 days), this difference was statistically insignificant. Conclusion: Administering prophylactic antibiotics before surgery substantially reduced the incidence of postoperative infections and overall morbidity among general surgery patients. Promoting the careful standardization of antibiotic practices may enhance surgical recovery by lowering complication rates and speeding up the return to health. Further research through larger, controlled trials is essential to establish the most effective antibiotic protocols.