Adverse financial and clinical burden of the use of prophylactic antibiotics in neurosurgical patients

Naairah Khan; Zairah Shamshad; Holly Batchelor-Parry; Iqra Marriyam; Sayed Samed Talibi; Rahim A Hussain

doi:10.1016/j.sopen.2022.12.001

Adverse financial and clinical burden of the use of prophylactic antibiotics in neurosurgical patients

Surg Open Sci. 2022 Dec 10:11:77-82. doi: 10.1016/j.sopen.2022.12.001. eCollection 2023 Jan.

Authors

Naairah Khan¹, Zairah Shamshad¹, Holly Batchelor-Parry¹, Iqra Marriyam¹, Sayed Samed Talibi¹, Rahim A Hussain¹

Affiliation

¹ University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS trust, United Kingdom.

Abstract

Background: Current guidance does not support the administration of prophylactic antibiotics in non-infected post-operative surgical cases including neurosurgery.

Materials and methods: This paper is a qualitative assessment, highlighting the economic cost of excessive antimicrobial prescription and the healthcare costs of the extra days of admission in hospital.

Results: One hundred and one neurosurgical cases were analysed in a single institution over a one-year period. The additional course of post-operative antibiotics has a cost of £56.72 and receiving prolonged post-operative antibiotics added on average £1121.10 to their admission bill. Up to 13.4 patients may have experienced an adverse drug event.

Conclusion: This paper reinforces the adherence to guidelines can aid in the reduction of adverse drug events, improve patient outcomes, and reduce costs associated with unnecessary drug prescriptions and administration.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Neurosurgery; Overuse; Prophylaxis; Resistance; SARS-COVID-19, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease 2019.