Effective administration of heparin and antibiotic prophylaxis.

A prospective audit was performed to determine whether new departmental procedures had improved the administration of heparin and antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing major surgery who were at risk of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and postoperative wound infection. The results are compared with a previous retrospective audit of the same 'at-risk' groups. A significant improvement in prophylaxis administration is demonstrated.