Antibiotic Usage in First Time Coronary Artery Surgery

Introduction Prophylactic antibiotics have an important role in the prevention of infection following cardiac surgery [1], however, inappropriate or excessive use is associated with the development of antibiotic resistance Cephalosporins, for example, have a well-established association with clostridium difficile [2]. The incidence of nosocomial infections in patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is approximately 5% [3]. The current antibiotic regimen for patients who undergo CABG at the Royal Brompton Hospital (RBH) includes cefuroxime 1500 mg at induction and 750 mg prior to sternal closure, followed by two further doses of 750 mg postoperatively, eight hours apart. We conducted a retrospective audit to evaluate adherence to the trust’s prescribing guideline for CABG and to review the use of antibiotics in the postoperative period.