Administrative Memos

200412

FROM: Theodore O. Will, Chief Executive Officer
DATE: Aug 05, 2004
SUBJECT: Surgical Infection Advisory Statement
IPRO CONTACTS:

Denise Faulkner-Cameron, MPA, Project Manager, extension 676

Enclosed is a copy of the recently published article "Antimicrobial Prophylaxis for Surgery: An Advisory Statement from the National Surgical Infection Prevention (SIP) Project." Also enclosed is an erratum correcting an error in Table 1, which now correctly states, "most of the guidelines agree that duration of prophylaxis for cardiac surgery should not exceed 24 h."

The SIP Advisory Statement includes recommendations and references for antimicrobial selection, timing and duration for each of the procedures of interest in the National Surgical Infection Prevention Project. These procedures include cardiothoracic, vascular, colon, hip and knee arthroplasty, and hysterectomy. In addition, the statement discusses inconsistencies in the published guidelines and areas not previously addressed in the guidelines, such as antimicrobial choice for colon surgery when a patient is allergic to beta-lactams.

We encourage you to share this information with your surgical staff.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Denise Faulkner-Cameron at extension 676 or dfaulkner@nyqio.sdps.org.