Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis in an Australian burns unit

Abstract

**Background** Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis is perceived to reduce intraoperative bacteraemia and prevent surgical site infections, however, the evidence for its use in burns surgery is limited. Excessive use of perioperative antibiotics has become a growing concern. The authors aimed to audit the prescribing practices of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis at the Victorian Adult Burns Service and determine whether the duration of antibiotic prophylaxis influenced the risk of postoperative wound infection, bacteraemia and antibiotic resistance. **Methods** This retrospective chart review included all acute adult burns patients who had an operation between November 2018 and November 2019. Basic demographic data, burn-specific data and data on perioperative antibiotic use were collected. The outcome measures were wound infection, bacteraemia, other infections and presence of resistant organisms. **Results** Results demonstrated that almost all patients (98.6%) received perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis. In comparison, there was no significant difference between the rate of postoperative wound infection, bacteraemia or antibiotic resistance between patients receiving a short or long course of antibiotics. **Conclusion** The results of our study demonstrate variable use of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis within one burns unit. There were many cases of unsubstantiated use of long courses of antibiotics without apparent benefit for clinical outcomes of wound infection or bacteraemia. With the growing concern over antibiotic overuse and development of resistance, there is an increasing need for development of clear guidelines for antibiotic use in burns surgery.