Practice of antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing mastectomy without immediate reconstruction: A survey of breast surgeons in Pakistan.

Abstract

e13519 Background: Incidence of surgical site infections after breast surgery range from 0.8-26%. Though preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) is widely used, international and national guidelines lack focus on post-operative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP). This survey of surgeons in Pakistan reports surgeon preference for AP in cases of mastectomy without immediate reconstruction but with indwelling drains. Methods: An anonymous, online, validated 16-item survey, exploring peri-operative antibiotic choices and prescribing practices was disseminated to a working-group of 30 leading breast surgeons in Pakistan. Descriptive statistics were performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Results: A total of 25 (response rate: 83.3%) members responded, with the majority being fellowship-trained breast surgeons/surgical oncologists (68%) and having > 10 years’ experience (60%). For mastectomy without reconstruction, though most (76%) reported routine use of pre-operative AP, there was considerable variation in post-operative AP. 36% reported no further AP after a single dose of pre-operative AP, 24% continued AP for 24 hours in high-risk patients only, while 24% continued AP for 24 hours in all patients. 12% continued post-operative AP in all patients for 7 days, while 4% reported continuing post-operative AP for the duration of indwelling drains. Antibiotic choice for peri-operative AP also varied. 56% used cephalosporins, 24% used penicillin, and the remaining 20% reported that their choice varied across patients. Conclusions: There is widespread variation in surgeon comfort with discontinuation of AP after the first pre-operative dose in patients undergoing mastectomy without immediate reconstruction but with indwelling drains. Large randomized controlled trials are necessary to develop guidelines to ensure uniformity and evidence-based post-operative AP.