The British journal of surgery
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Observational Study
An observational cohort study on the effects of extended postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis on surgical-site infections in low- and middle-income countries.
Worldwide, approximately one in six inpatient antibiotic prescriptions are for surgical-infection prophylaxis, including postoperative prophylaxis. The WHO recommends against prolonged postoperative antibiotics to prevent surgical-site infection. However, in many low- and middle-income countries, postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis is common due to perceptions that it protects against surgical-site infection and data informing recommendations against antibiotic administration are largely derived from high-income countries. The aim of this study was to describe postoperative antibiotic-prescribing patterns and related surgical-site infection rates in hospitals in low- and middle-income countries. ⋯ Prolonged postoperative antibiotics did not reduce surgical-site infection, but pervasive use was associated with a longer length of hospital stay, in resource-limited healthcare systems. With the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, surgical initiatives to implement antimicrobial stewardship programmes in low- and middle-income countries are critical.