| Percent of surgery patients whose preventive antibiotics were stopped at the right time (within 24 hours after surgery) |
Description of MeasureTaking preventive antibiotics for more than 24 hours after routine surgery is usually not necessary. This measure shows how often hospitals stopped giving antibiotics to surgery patients when they were no longer needed to prevent surgical infection. Why is this Important?Antibiotics are often given to patients before surgery to prevent infection. Taking these antibiotics for more than 24 hours after routine surgery is usually not necessary. Continuing the medication longer than necessary can increase the risk of side effects such as stomach aches and serious types of diarrhea. Also, when antibiotics are used for too long, patients can develop resistance to them and the antibiotics won't work as well. Click image for larger chart.
All descriptions and data sources are reported from Hospital Compare.
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