New guidance on surgical site infections calls for physicians to cease antibiotic prophylaxis immediately after surgeries, according to research published May 4 in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. It is the first major revision to the guidelines since 2014.
Prior to now, antibiotics were given often before, during and after to prevent infection, however research has found "no evidence that continuing antibiotics after a patient’s incision has been closed, even if it has drains, prevents surgical site infections." Rather, it actually increases a patients' risk for contracting Clostridioides difficile — which can cause severe diarrhea.
On top of that, continuing to administer antibiotics afterward also increases the risk for antimicrobial resistance — which has been deemed a growing problem across the globe by the World Health Organization.
The new guidance was determined through a collaboration between the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, the American Hospital Association and The Joint Commission.