Key result
Prophylactic antibiotics are prescribed in ~62% of pediatric surgeries but frequently feature inappropriate timing or duration.
Why the study?
The frequency and appropriateness of prophylactic antibiotic use in children under 6 years undergoing surgery were not well characterized.
Observational
Prophylactic antibiotics are frequently administered inappropriately in pediatric surgical patients under 6 years of age.
Frequent inappropriate prophylactic antibiotic use in young children may warrant stewardship review; leaves open optimal interventions and outcomes impact.
The frequency and appropriateness of prophylactic antibiotic use in children less than 6 years of age who received surgery were examined. Antibiotics were prescribed for 62% of children who had surgery, and prophylaxis was the sole reason for antibiotic use in 73% of the patients. Prophylactic antibiotics were administered inappropriately with respect to timing or duration to 42% of the children receiving preoperative prophylaxis, 67% receiving intraoperative prophylaxis, and 55% receiving postoperative prophylaxis. Thus, prophylaxis alone is the major indication for antibiotic use in pediatric surgical patients, and prophylactic antibiotics are frequently administered inappropriately.
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Kesler et al. (1982) conducted an observational in Pediatric surgery. Prophylactic antibiotics was evaluated on Frequency and appropriateness of prophylactic antibiotic use. Prophylactic antibiotics were prescribed for 62% of children under 6 undergoing surgery, with inappropriate timing or duration occurring in 42% to 67% of cases depending on the surgical phase.
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