Antimicrobial therapy in abdominal surgery: factors to consider in antibiotic selection.
Infection continues to be the cause of significant morbidity and mortality in abdominal surgery patients, despite recent advances in antimicrobial prophylaxis and therapy. Cost analyses reveal that billions of additional dollars are spent on these patients, making this an area of particular concern to P & T Committees. To determine precise antibiotic usage, risk factors are classified by individual operative procedure rather than by general groups, and factors such as the patient's immune status are also considered. Guidelines concerning antibiotic usage must be based not only on pharmacologic information, but also on clinical information determined in prospective randomized trials.
D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005572:Formularies, Hospital as Topic; D006801:Humans; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States