Adherence to Surgical Antibiotic Prophylaxis in the Field of Vascular Surgery.

Insufficient surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) can lead to prolonged hospitalization, hospital re-admissions, increased morbidity and mortality, and higher healthcare costs. Overdoing prophylaxis can result in antimicrobial resistance, infections, and acute kidney failure. To investigate the adherence to local SAP guidelines for vascular surgery, a retrospective observational single center intervention study was performed in a Dutch hospital. Antibiotic choice, dose, interval, timing, and duration were adherent to the guidelines in 96%, 97%, 96%, 85%, and 41% of the surgeries, respectively. Adherence to all five aspects was achieved in only 37% of all procedures. Further interventions are necessary to improve specific parameters such as duration and timing.