An audit was performed to examine the time of administra-undergoing elective procedures and in only 22-7 per cent of tion of heparin and antiiiotic prophylaxis to patients at risk emergencies. Antiiiotic prophylaxis was given before of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and postoperation or at induction of anaesthesia to 82-1 per cent of operative wound infection. The records of 648 consecutive patients undergoing elective procedures and in only 72.1 patients undergoing major surgery within a 12-month per cent of emergencies. It is concluded that administration period were reviewed retrospectively. Heparin prophylaxis of heparin and antibiotic prophylaxis is inadequate despite was given before surgery to only 309 per cent of patients the provision of a written protocol.
Unfractionated and low molecular weight heparins are effective in reducing the incidence of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolus when appropriately administered'.
The value of prophylaxis in orthopaedic and general surgery is ~r o v e n ~-~ but no studies exist to show how effectively these methods are implemented.
Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis reduces the incidence of infective complications if correctly administered6. Several studies have shown that antibiotic agents, including prophylactic antibiotics, are poorly prescribed7-". Some reports suggest that education of junior staff can produce an improvement in prescribing practicess*10-12, but others have not supported these findings9.
An audit was performed to examine how effectively the written protocols for heparin and antibiotic prophylaxis are implemented.