Inadequate timing of prophylactic antibiotics in orthopedic surgery. We can do better

Figures & data

Figure 1. A control chart showing the timing of the first dose of prophylactic antibiotic in relation to the start of surgery at the Department of Orthopedics, Lund University Hospital. Each dot represents 1 case. Zero represents the start of surgery. The red lines indicate 45 min and 15 min before the start of surgery.

The intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis administered preoperatively in 247 randomly chosen TKAs performed in Sweden 2007

Antibiotic	n	%
Cloxacillin
1 g	54	22
2 g	158	64
unknown dose	7	3
Clindamycin
300 mg	1	0.4
600 mg	23	9
Cefuroxime
1.5 g	4	2

Figure 2. The timing of administration of prophylactic antibiotic in relation to the start of surgery in 198 cases of primary TKA. Zero represents the start of surgery. The green bars correspond to acceptable timing.

Figure 3. The timing of administration of prophylactic antibiotic in relation to the inflation of a tourniquet in 176 cases of primary TKA. Zero represents the start of surgery. The green bars correspond to acceptable timing.