R454 – Antibiotic Prophylaxis In Otorhinolaryngology:

ProblemThe efficacy of perioperative antimicrobial therapy in reducing the rate of wound infections has been demonstrated in clinical trials. However, their use is not a panacea and their misuse may have considerable implications including the emergence of resistance and the risk of reaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prophylactic use of antibiotics in otorhinolaryngological procedures in the perioperative period.MethodsA prospective audit of 51 patients undergoing twelve different consecutive, non-day case ENT procedures was undertaken over a 4 week period. Each patient was evaluated from the time of antibiotic commencement through their operative procedure, until the treatment was discontinued.ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 32.5 years (range 3 to 80 years), of whom 23 (45%) were male. A total of 34 / 51 (66%) patients were administered 4 different antibiotics, each being prophylactic in nature. Where guidelines existed, the prescribing was non adherent in 86% of cases. The antim...