title: Evolution of antimicrobial prophylaxis in cardiovascular surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the optimal duration of antibiotic prophylaxis in major cardiovascular surgery. MTHODSs: In the past 15 years, four prospective randomized, controlled studies, conducted by the same group of authors, compared seven prophylactic antimicrobial regimens in 2970 patients undergoing major cardiovascular surgery. In 1980/81, a 4-day cefazolin (CFZ) prophylaxis was compared with a 2-day cefuroxime (CFX) administration (n=566). In 1982/83, a 2-day CFX prophylaxis was compared with a two shot ceftriaxone (CRO) prophylaxis (n=512). In 1984/87, a 1-day CFZ prophylaxis was compared with a single shot prophylaxis of CRO (n=883). In 1994/1995, a 4 day combination of amoxicillin (AM) and netilmicin (NET) prophylaxis was compared with a single shot prophylaxis of CFX (n=1009).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total infection rate varied between 4.5 and 5.7%, despite different antimicrobial regimen used and their varying duration. Wound infection rate was 1.1% (range 0.4-2.5%), sepsis rate was 0.8% (range 0.4-1.6%), pneumonia rate 2% (0.7-2.9%), urinary tract infection rate 0.4% (range 0-1.4%), and central venous catheter-related infection rate was 0.4% (0-1%). The 30-day mortality rate was 1.3% (range 0.4-2%). All these differences were not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A low infection rate (range 4.5-5.7%) occurred despite changes in duration of various prophylactic antibiotic regimen with cephalosporins of first, second or third generation. As a single shot prophylaxis could nowadays successfully be used in cardiovascular surgery, no postoperative antibiotics should be used, unless an intraoperative or a postoperative infection is documented or in presence of major perioperative complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Intensive Care, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, 356 Sygrou Avenue, 17674, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kriaras
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michalopoulos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turina
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geroulanos
mesh_terms: D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D013504:Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D002511:Cephalosporins