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Journal of Hand Surgery (British and European Volume)
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Articles

Post-Operative Infection Following Hand Surgery

Guidelines for Antibiotic Use

A. J. PLATT
R. E. PAGE

From the Department of Plastic Surgery, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, UK

Correspondence: Mr A. J. Platt, FRCS, Research Registrar Plastic Surgery, Pinderfields General Hospital, Aberford Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 4DG, UK.

An audit was designed to analyse the risk factors for developing post-operative wound infection following hand surgery. 249 consecutive patients were prospectively entered into the study. 236 (95%) patients were available for follow-up. Infection was diagnosed by clinical criteria. There was an infection rate of 10.7% in elective operations and 9.7% in emergency operations.

There was no significant reduction in infection rate in the elective group with the use of antibiotics (P=0.5). In the emergency group of patients peri-operative antibiotic administration was associated with an 8.5-fold reduction in infection rate (P=0.014). The presence of a dirty wound was associated with a 13.4-fold increase in post-operative wound infection rate (P=0.002).

A postal questionnaire of members of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand revealed a wide variation in antibiotic usage. Guidelines for antibiotic use in patients undergoing hand surgery are presented.

Journal of Hand Surgery (British and European Volume), Vol. 20, No. 5, 685-690 (1995)
DOI: 10.1016/S0266-7681(05)80137-8
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