Antimicrobial prophylaxis in surgical procedures:: assessment of the guidelines application, and the use of an antibiotic kit

Introduction.-Surgical wounds infections represent a major cause of morbidity and are at the origin of an increase in the postoperative mortality rate. Those infections represent in France one-fourth of the nosocomial infections. Combine with the elementary hygiene rules and the surgical "good practices", antimicrobial prophylaxis with antibiotics is an essential tool for the reduction of the surgical wound infections rate. In the French hospitals, antimicrobial prophylaxis represents one-third of the antibiotic prescriptions. The rules for the application of surgical prophylaxis are based on current guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis, however, guidelines are not totally respected. Material and methods.-Study 1: assessment of the guidelines application (practical audit) of the antibiotic antimicrobial prophylaxis in surgery, and of their impact on the established prescriptions: three audits were realized with four years interval (1994, 1998 and 2002), in order to estimate the evolution in the application of the current guidelines, which indirectly estimate the evolution of the guidelines impact. Study 2: assessment of the use of an antibiotic kit through a prospective comparative study of two groups: exposed patients vs non-exposed patients. Nominatives kits contained the recommended antibiotics with recommended posology and the instructions for each surgical procedure. Results.-Study 1: this study showed a significant increase in the antibiotics prescription volume since 1994 (+23%). After a temporary increase from 1994 to 1998, the conformity of the effective prescriptions with the current guidelines for the indication to realize or not to realize an antibiotic surgical prophylaxis decreases of 7% between 1998 and 2002. Nevertheless, we noticed an overall improvement in the guidelines application for the modalities of the antimicrobial prophylaxis when it was prescribed in a valid indication. Persistent weak points were in 2002 the antibiotic molecule choice (error rate of 25%), the duration of prescription (rate of abnormal prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis of 19%), and the timing of administration (error rate of 31%). Study 2: antibiotic kits have permitted to increase the accordance of the antimicrobial prophylaxis prescriptions with the guidelines. Antibiotic prophylaxis was in total agreement with guidelines for 82% of exposed patients vs 41 for non-exposed patients. Choice of the antibiotic molecule, timing of administration and duration of prescription were the parameters particularly well rectified by this new antibiotic prophylaxis technical. Conclusion.-In this study, guidelines diffusion seems to be an essential but also an insufficient point for the improvement of the quality prescriptions in surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis. The "day by day" nominative antibiotic prophylaxis deliverance in the shape of a << ready to use >> antibiotic kit went with an increase in the respect of the recommendations, by correcting in a significant way the persistent weak points identified during the first part of our study. The antibiotic prescriptions control is an imperative goal in individual health (the patient himself), but also in public health (the community). This radical change in habits is listed in a policy of antimicrobial agent prescription improvement (best efficacy with less cost). (C) 2003 Elsevier SAS. Tous droits reserves.