Antibiotics Stopped Within 24 hours After Surgery

The Reading Hospital percentages displayed in this graph reflect discharges during second quarter 2011. State and national rates from the US Department of Health & Human Services are for discharges between October 2009 and September 2010.

Why is this important?

Antibiotics are medicines to prevent and treat infections. While the likelihood of infection after surgery can be reduced by giving patients preventative antibiotics, taking these antibiotics for more than 24 hours after routine surgery is usually not necessary and can increase the risk of side effects such as stomach aches, serious types of diarrhea, and antibiotic resistance (when antibiotics are used too much, they will not work anymore.) There are exceptions – for example, where the surgical site has been contaminated (making the surgery not routine).Talk to your doctor if you have questions about how long you should take antibiotics after surgery.

Our approach to improving performance: 

We are participating in the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP), a national initiative which allows us to adopt practice guidelines to provide the best care possible. Our multidisciplinary healthcare team meets regularly to review the SCIP data and take necessary actions to improve our care.

Our physicians, nurses, and pharmacists work together to assure that postoperative antibiotic administration is completed within 24 hours after surgery.