Redosing Cefazolin to Prevent Infections in Heart Surgery
Author Information
Author(s): Giorgio Zanetti, Richard Giardina, Richard Platt
Primary Institution: Brigham and Women's Hospital
Hypothesis
Does intraoperative redosing of cefazolin reduce the risk of surgical site infections in cardiac surgery?
Conclusion
Intraoperative redosing of cefazolin significantly reduces the risk of surgical site infections in cardiac surgeries lasting more than 400 minutes.
Supporting Evidence
- Redosing cefazolin was associated with a 16% reduction in overall infection risk.
- In procedures lasting over 400 minutes, redosing reduced infection rates significantly.
- Patients who received redosing had a similar infection rate to those with shorter procedures.
Takeaway
Giving extra doses of a medicine called cefazolin during long heart surgeries can help keep patients from getting infections.
Methodology
This was a retrospective cohort study comparing infection rates in patients who received intraoperative redosing of cefazolin versus those who did not.
Potential Biases
Patients with higher infection risk may have been less likely to receive redosing, potentially overestimating the benefit.
Limitations
The study is retrospective and may not account for all risk factors for infection, and the sample size limits precision.
Participant Demographics
Patients undergoing cardiac surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital, average age around 65 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.015
Confidence Interval
0.23-0.86
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
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