Background: The antibiotic surgical prophylaxis (ASP) is very important as it can decrease the incidence of surgical infections. However, selection pressure of antibiotics is an important driver of ...antimicrobial resistance and may stimulate development of post-operative infections with resistant bacteria. This study aims to explore the level of compliance of ASP in daily practice with the set guidelines. Methods: Consecutive patients treated in the years 2011 and 2012 in UKCL were included in this retrospective study. Their medical records were reviewed and the results compared against the US Guidelines published in 2013. The following parameters were included in the study: application of an antibiotic prior to surgery, the appropriateness of the antibiotic and its dosage, application time and the number of doses applied. Results: Altogether 451 surgical procedures from 8 different UKCL's surgical units were analyzed. Patients age ranged from 18 to 97 years. Total compliance with the recommendations of ASP was achieved in 26 % of the cases. Antibiotic prophylaxis was applied in 87 % (range 62–100 %) of procedures with the indicated ASP. Appropriate choice of antibiotic reached 95 % (range 46–100 %). The lowest score was observed for the number of doses applied; the average compliance across 8 units was 46 %. Overall, the ASP was compliant with guidelines in 26 %. Conclusion: The study revealed that there is much space for improvement regarding the studied parameters of the ASP, in particular with regard to the appropriate number of doses of antibiotics administered. The prescribing and administrating of ASP in accordance with the recommendations depend strongly on the awareness and education of health care personnel as well as on supervision, feedback and supportive and blameless organization with good interpersonal communication.
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