Random practice patterns of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis in neonates

Postoperative sepsis in infants below 6 months of age

“…There is no consensus on optimal antibiotic regimen for neonates or small infants undergoing surgery and practice patterns vary considerably. [9] However, the elevated frequency of postoperative sepsis and the absence of institutional regimens for antibiotic prophylaxis indicate the need of prospective investigations in this fi eld.…”

Consensus Guidelines for Perioperative Care in Neonatal Intestinal Surgery: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) Society Recommendations

“…Although adult literature demonstrates that a single preoperative dose of antibiotics is generally sufficient for prophylaxis, similar evidence in neonates is lacking. Given the significantly higher rate and severity of neonatal SSIs, general practice has been to provide longer periods of prophylactic antibiotics as demonstrated in a survey study where patients received inconsistent and prolonged prophylactic antibiotic courses with some extending beyond 1 week [26][27][28]. Antibiotic administration, however, carries an increased risk of invasive Candida infections, and emergence of resistant organisms [29].…”