Percentage of CABG Patients Receiving Antibiotics Within One Hour Prior to Surgery

For the time period January 2008–December 2008, 95% of Strong Memorial Hospital's patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) received an antibiotic within one hour prior to surgery.

Surgical site infections affect approximately 500,000 persons per year according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. Many factors such as age and general health status of persons undergoing surgery can affect rates of infection at any given hospital.

Because there are numerous drug-resistant bacteria today, it is important to use antibiotics sparingly. The goal for antibiotic use with surgical procedures is to prevent surgical site infections and thereby reduce overall antibiotic use.

According to the Joint Commission Infection Control Initiatives, patients undergoing CABG should receive an antibiotic within one hour prior to surgery.