[Survey of 39 South East Group hospital centers on the practice of antibiotic prophylaxis in surgery].

A survey was carried out in 39 hospitals regarding the prescribing of perioperative antibiotics. The day of the survey, hospital pharmacists collected information on prescription patterns of antibiotics and, for 3 days, the duration of their administration. A total of 1,131 cases were surveyed, originating from digestive surgery (20%), orthopaedics (31%), gynaecology (15%), ophthalmic surgery (15%), and others (19%). Duration of surgery was 72 +/- 68 min. For all types of surgeries, antibiotics not recommended by the French consensus conference were prescribed. Third generation cephalosporins were used in 17% of patients in gynaecological surgery. In 20% of cases, antibiotics were administered at an inappropriate time: 9.5% after the beginning of surgery, 8% at the time of pre-medication, and 2.5% the day before surgery. Administration exceeded 48 hours in 10% of the cases. In conclusion, special attention should be paid to limit the prescription of third generation cephalosporins, to inject antibiotic at the induction of anaesthesia and to reduce the duration of their administration.