Surgical Quality Ratings
| Data listed is from the Fourth Quarter of 2008. | Barton | State Average | U.S. Average |
| Prophylactic Antibiotic Received within 1 hour prior to Surgical Incision | 80% | 88% | 77% |
| Research shows that surgery patients who get antibiotics within one hour before their operation are less likely to get wound infections. Getting an antibiotic earlier, or after surgery begins, is not as effective. | |||
| Prophylactic Antibiotics Discontinued within 24 hours after Surgery End Time | 77% | 80% | 71% |
| While the likelihood of infection after surgery can be reduced by giving patients preventative antibiotics, taking these antibiotics for more than 48 hours after routine surgery is usually not necessary and can increase the risk of side effects such as stomach aches, serious types of diarrhea, and antibiotic resistance (when antibiotics are used too much, they will not work anymore). There are exceptions-for example, where the surgical site has been contaminated (making the surgery not routine). Talk to your doctor if you have questions about how long you should take antibiotics after surgery. | |||
Click here to learn more about Surgical Infection Prevention
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