Preventative Antibiotic(s) Stopped Within 24 hours After Surgery Has Ended at HealthONE Hospitals in Denver, Colorado

Timeframe: January 2011 through March 2011
(Most Recent Data Available)

Timeframe: October 2009 through September 2010
(Yearly National and State Comparisons)

What Does This Measure?

Percentage of surgery patients whose preventative antibiotic(s) are stopped within 24 hours after their surgery ends.

Why Is This Important?

In most cases, it is not necessary to continue giving patients antibiotics more than 24 hours after surgery. Antibiotic overuse can increase the risk of side effects and cause bacteria to become resistant to the medication.

What Are We Doing to Improve Our Performance?

HealthONE hospitals have implemented several initiatives to improve our performance on this measure. These include:

• Electronic medication records
• Evidence-based medicine
• Nurse and physician training
• Patient safety and quality committee