Optimaliseren van het antibioticabeleid in Nederland. V. SWAB-richtlijnen voor perioperatieve antibiotische profylaxe

- The Stichting Werkgroep Antibioticabeleid (SWAB, Foundation Antibiotics Policy Team) has issued guidelines for perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis in Dutch hospitals.

- Antibiotic prophylaxis is generally recommended for surgical procedures with relatively high postoperative infection rates and those in which consequences of infection are really serious.

- Studies have revealed that prophylaxis given within two hours before incision is most effective. Short-term, preferably single-dose prophylaxis, is as effective as multiple-dose prophylaxis in most procedures. For reasons of cost effectiveness and prevention of induction of resistance, single-dose prophylaxis is recommended.

- The antimicrobial agent of choice for perioperative prophylaxis should not be widely used as a therapeutic agent, should be selectively active against micro-organisms most frequently isolated from surgical site infections, and should have a plasma-half-life that makes single-dosing possible for most operations.

- Therefore cefazoline is an agent that is widely used for perioperative prophylaxis.