ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 74. Antibiotic prophylaxis for gynecologic procedures.

Abstract

Surgical site inflection remains the most common surgical complication. Up to 5% of operative patients will develop a surgical site infection leading to a longer hospital stay and increased cost. One of the advances in infection control practices has been the selective use of antibiotic prophylaxis. However,antibiotic use, especially prophylactic antibiotic use, has been associated with the selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Indiscriminate use of prophylactic antibiotics for institutions as well as for individual patients promotes this dangerous side eject. There are acknowledged consequences of prophylactic antibiotic use for institutions as well as for individual patients. It is important for clinicians to understand when antibiotic prophylaxis is indicated and when it is inappropriate. The purpose of this document is to review the evidence for surgical site infection prevention and appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis for gynecologic procedures.