Anaesthetists’ knowledge of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis: a prospective descriptive study

Abstract

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is the second most common hospital-acquired infection and results in increased morbidity and mortality and a longer hospital stay. Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) is one component of broader strategies to reduce rates of SSI. Adherence to SAP guidelines is largely sub-optimal globally, with knowledge of appropriate SAP being an important factor that affects this. The study’s objective was to describe awareness amongst anaesthetists at university-affiliated hospitals of available SAP guidelines and to describe their knowledge on the subject. Comparisons between senior and junior anaesthetists were to be made.