The ethics of prophylactic antibiotics for neurosurgical procedures.
The prophylactic use of antibiotics has become a routine procedure in many areas of medicine. In neurosurgery, however, there is considerable debate over their use in the prevention of postoperative infection. We pose several ethical questions about antibiotic prophylaxis in a neurosurgical setting. These questions are discussed under the following categories: responsible usage of antibiotics; the ethical dilemmas of controlled, antibiotic clinical trials, and some problems inherent in not using prophylactic antibiotics.
Savitz
S I
SI
Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA. ssavitz@caregroup.harvard.edu
Rivlin
M M
MM
Savitz
M H
MH
D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000941:ethics; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000941:ethics; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000941:ethics* / Q000379:methods; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000941:ethics; D016079:Refusal to Treat / Q000941:ethics; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control