1096. Reducing Unnecessary Postoperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis

Abstract

BackgroundNational guidelines for the prevention of surgical site infections (SSI) recommend against antibiotic prophylaxis following wound closure for clean and clean-contaminated surgical procedures. Prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis can lead to antibiotic resistance and adverse drug events without reducing SSI rates. The objective was to reduce the rate of antibiotic prophylaxis following surgical incision closure for specified procedures in the Divisions of Neurosurgery (NRS), Otolaryngology (OTO), and General Surgery (GS) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).MethodsWe identified all NRS, OTO, and GS procedures conducted at CHOP from July 1, 2016 to June 20, 2017. Collaborative meetings between surgical quality improvement team leads and the antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) were convened to identify procedures most suitable for the intervention, including Chiari decompressions and tethered cord repair (NRS); tympanoplasty and tracheostomy (OTO); and laparoscopic and thoracoscopic procedures (GS). The intervention, started in March 2018, included (1) education of surgeons on perioperative prescribing guidelines, (2) order set modification, and (3) individualized monthly audit with feedback reports of inappropriate postoperative prescribing (via email copying all surgeons within the division). We monitored rates utilizing SPC charts of postoperative antibiotic use (defined as administration within 24 hours of procedure end) and evaluated SSI rates pre and post-intervention with a Poisson regression.ResultsFollowing the intervention, postoperative antibiotic use reached special cause resulting in a mean decline for laparoscopy (19.6% to 11.7%), thoracoscopy (35.6% to 17.9%), tympanoplasty (90.5% to 11.4%), tethered cord repair (95% to 25.5%), and Chiari decompression (97% to 45.9%). There was no mean shift in postoperative antibiotic use for tracheostomy (25.5%). 30-day SSI rates did not change pre- and post-intervention (P = 0.36).ConclusionA quality improvement initiative conducted to implement national guidelines recommending against postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis showed a significant reduction in postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis without a concomitant rise in SSI rates. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.