Antibiotic Received One Hour Prior to Surgical Incision - Outpatient

It is recommended that preventive antibiotics be given to patients within one hour of the start of surgery. The chances of getting an infection are reduced if antibiotics are already working in the bloodstream when the surgeon starts the operation.

Hospitals can prevent surgical wound infections. Medical research shows that surgery patients who get antibiotics within the hour before their surgery are less likely to get wound infections. The timing is important: getting an antibiotic earlier, or after surgery begins, is not as effective. Hospital staff should make sure patients get antibiotics at the right time.

The types of surgery that are currently measured for use of preventive antibiotics at SBUH are: coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), heart valves and other heart procedures, hip replacement, knee replacement, colon surgery, abdominal and vaginal hysterectomy, vascular surgery, and any other type of inpatient surgery.

At SBUH, 89% of a sample of 381 eligible surgical patients received preventive antibiotics within an hour of their operation starting.

A high score is better than a low score.

	The SBUH 2009-2010 score is for the period October 2009 to September 2010.
	The New York State average score summarizes the average of health care organizations throughout New York State reporting to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the period October 2009 to September 2010.
	The U.S. average score summarizes the average of health care organizations throughout the United States reporting to CMS for the period October 2009 to September 2010.
	Top 10% score summarizes results from the best 10% of health care organizations reporting to CMS for the period October 2009 to September 2010.

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