Identifying challenges with antibiotic use in surgical services and implementing evidence-based interventions: a pre-intervention phase
Tracks
Meeting Room 1.61 - 1.62
| Tuesday, July 1, 2025 |
| 3:00 PM - 3:15 PM |
Overview
Speaker: Antoinette Bediako-Bowan
Details
Followed by Panel discussion
Speaker
Prof Antoinette Bediako-Bowan
University of Ghana Medical School
Identifying challenges with antibiotic use in surgical services and implementing evidence-based interventions: a pre-intervention phase.
Abstract
Background: Interventions to reduce surgical site infections (SSI) include appropriate surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) and infection prevention and control (IPC) practices.
Aim: This project aims to reduce SSI incidence and improve appropriate antimicrobial use (AMU) in surgical services.
Methods: A mixed methods study is underway in the surgical departments of four hospitals in Ghana. The methods include a point prevalence survey (PPS) to assess baseline AMU; assess their adherence to IPC standards; healthcare workers, patients, and carers in-depth interviews and focused group discussions to ascertain AMU practices, a 30-day surveillance to monitor SSI rates, and cost evaluation for patient care.
Results: Preliminary results from one hospital were analyzed. PPS included 264 patients’ records, of which 40% (106/264) were on antibiotics. SAP was the commonest indication for AMU, 56.5% (65/106)), of which 84% (55/65) was for more than one day. Only 34% (64/190) of antibiotic prescriptions were compliant with the standard treatment guidelines (STG).
Healthcare practitioners said, “the facility has guidelines” and “there are standard antibiotics prescribed for patients undergoing surgery”.
With a score of 685/800, adherence to IPC standards is high.
Ninety-three patients completed the 30-day SSI surveillance, of which 6.5% (6/93) developed SSI with four requiring a relaparotomy, while one patient died. Patients with SSI stayed in hospital for 13 days versus 5 days for non-SSI patients, and treatment costs were $2225.23 and $1365.46 respectively.
Conclusion: SAP was the commonest indication for AMU on surgical wards, with majority being administered for longer than required and not per STG.
Aim: This project aims to reduce SSI incidence and improve appropriate antimicrobial use (AMU) in surgical services.
Methods: A mixed methods study is underway in the surgical departments of four hospitals in Ghana. The methods include a point prevalence survey (PPS) to assess baseline AMU; assess their adherence to IPC standards; healthcare workers, patients, and carers in-depth interviews and focused group discussions to ascertain AMU practices, a 30-day surveillance to monitor SSI rates, and cost evaluation for patient care.
Results: Preliminary results from one hospital were analyzed. PPS included 264 patients’ records, of which 40% (106/264) were on antibiotics. SAP was the commonest indication for AMU, 56.5% (65/106)), of which 84% (55/65) was for more than one day. Only 34% (64/190) of antibiotic prescriptions were compliant with the standard treatment guidelines (STG).
Healthcare practitioners said, “the facility has guidelines” and “there are standard antibiotics prescribed for patients undergoing surgery”.
With a score of 685/800, adherence to IPC standards is high.
Ninety-three patients completed the 30-day SSI surveillance, of which 6.5% (6/93) developed SSI with four requiring a relaparotomy, while one patient died. Patients with SSI stayed in hospital for 13 days versus 5 days for non-SSI patients, and treatment costs were $2225.23 and $1365.46 respectively.
Conclusion: SAP was the commonest indication for AMU on surgical wards, with majority being administered for longer than required and not per STG.
Biography
Prof Antoinette Afua Asiedua Bediako-Bowan is the principal investigator of the ICARS -Ministry of Health of Ghana project on Antibiotic use in Surgical Services in Ghana.
Her research interests include improving infection control practices in hospitals in Ghana to reduce hospital-acquired infections, specifically surgical site infections, and proper antibiotic use in surgical services, having had her PhD work in developing a surveillance system for surgical site infections in a teaching hospital in Ghana.
Professional background: She is a certified General surgeon by training, and a Colorectal surgeon by practice, offering surgical services, mainly for colorectal diseases, with research interests also in colorectal diseases, especially colorectal cancers, defining its incidence and treatment outcomes. She is involved in the training of General surgeons in Ghana with both the West African College of Surgeons and the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, and fellowship training of Colorectal surgeons with the Ghana College of Physicians & Surgeons.
