Antibiotics Prophylaxis and Post Operative Outcomes. Deciphering the Role of Antibiotics

Seminar paper from the year 2020 in the subject Medicine - Pharmacology, grade: A2, Obafemi Awolowo University, language: English, abstract: Background: The focus of this work is to evaluate the effect of prophylactic antibiotics on patients' post-operative outcome as reflected in the reduction of the rate of surgical site infections and other possible adverse outcomes.

A literature search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register published in the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases. Outcomes of interest included presence of post-operative surgical site infections and other possible outcomes. In accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, forty full-text articles comprising randomized controlled trials and observational studies were subjected to qualitative analysis. Data were extracted based on the PICO investigative model.

In spite of the heterogeneity of the research design of several studies; there was a general consensus on the adverse outcomes of inappropriate administration of antibiotic prophylaxis. Various studies acknowledged the significance of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the recommended prophylactic antibiotics (in relation to SSI risk factors) in improving or worsening the post-operative outcome of patients - notably, protection against surgical site infections.

This study therefore strongly recommends on the adherence to global standard guidelines on antibiotics' prophylaxis in the conduct of perioperative procedures. More so, in view of the concerns raised about the standard guidelines, there is a need for more evidence-based principles on the use of antibiotics in surgery and continuous update of standard guidelines.