Hospital pharmacy
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Surgical site infections (SSIs) are the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections and are associated with substantial health care costs, with increased morbidity and death. The Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) contains standards that are nationally reported with the aim of improving patient outcomes after surgery. Our institution's standards for antimicrobial prophylaxis in the perioperative period are more stringent than these measures and may be considered "beyond SCIP." The 4 elements of appropriate antimicrobial prophylaxis are timing, antibiotic selection, dosing, and intraoperative redosing. ⋯ Noncompliance existed in each element of antimicrobial SSI prophylaxis, with antibiotic redosing leading in noncompliance. With the implementation of tools to assist the surgical team in following institutional standards, noncompliance will likely decline and additional research opportunities will exist.