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. 2022 Dec 10:11:77-82.
doi: 10.1016/j.sopen.2022.12.001. eCollection 2023 Jan.

Adverse financial and clinical burden of the use of prophylactic antibiotics in neurosurgical patients

Naairah Khan  1 , Zairah Shamshad  1 , Holly Batchelor-Parry  1 , Iqra Marriyam  1 , Sayed Samed Talibi  1 , Rahim A Hussain  1
Affiliations

Adverse financial and clinical burden of the use of prophylactic antibiotics in neurosurgical patients

Naairah Khan et al. Surg Open Sci. .

Abstract

Background: Current guidance does not support the administration of prophylactic antibiotics in non-infected post-operative surgical cases including neurosurgery.

Materials and methods: This paper is a qualitative assessment, highlighting the economic cost of excessive antimicrobial prescription and the healthcare costs of the extra days of admission in hospital.

Results: One hundred and one neurosurgical cases were analysed in a single institution over a one-year period. The additional course of post-operative antibiotics has a cost of £56.72 and receiving prolonged post-operative antibiotics added on average £1121.10 to their admission bill. Up to 13.4 patients may have experienced an adverse drug event.

Conclusion: This paper reinforces the adherence to guidelines can aid in the reduction of adverse drug events, improve patient outcomes, and reduce costs associated with unnecessary drug prescriptions and administration.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Neurosurgery; Overuse; Prophylaxis; Resistance; SARS-COVID-19, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease 2019.

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Conflict of interest statement

There is no conflict of interest of any of the authors. The hospital site did not support financially the writing nor publication of this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Length of antibiotic course compared across type of surgical procedure.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Length of antibiotic course compared to WHO categories.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Length of antibiotic course compared to urgency of case.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Length of antibiotic course compared to NCEPOD categories.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Length of antibiotic course compared to ASA grading.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Cases which received prolonged course of antibiotics compared across each category.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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