β-Lactam vs Non–β-Lactam Antimicrobial Prophylaxis and Surgical Site Infection

Is the administration of non–β-lactam surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) vs β-lactam SAP associated with increased surgical site infections (SSI)?In this cohort study of 348 885 patients who underwent 1 of 10 major surgical procedures, non–β-lactam SAP was associated with 1.8-fold higher odds of SSI.These findings suggest that non–β-lactam SAP should be avoided whenever possible and for patients with reported β-lactam allergy delabeling should be enforced.

Corresponding Author: Rami Sommerstein, MD, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland (rami.sommerstein@unilu.ch).

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