INVESTIGATING THE POTENTIAL OF SINGLE-SHOT CO-AMOXICLAV PROPHYLAXIS FOR PREVENTING SURGICAL SITE INFECTIONS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing surgery are at a significant risk of developing surgical site infections (SSIs), which can increase rates of morbidity, mortality, and medical costs. There is a chance that using antibiotics prophylactically for prophylaxis will lower SSIs. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential of a single shot of co-amoxiclav as a preventive measure for preventing surgical site infections. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted between 2021 and 2023 at Northwest General Hospital and Research Centre, Peshawar. Examining 1190 patient data, general surgical procedures and single-shot co-amoxiclav prevention were the main topics of interest. Distributions by age, gender, surgical procedure types, and SSIs were all included in the data analysis. RESULTS: The participants' mean age was 36.22 years, and there were more women (596/1190) than males in every age group. SSIs noted after a single injection were 18/1190 superficial SSIs (1.51%), 7/1190 deep wound infections (0.59%), and 5/1190 deep body cavity infections (0.42%) out of 1190 patients, the overall infection rate was very low, calculated to be 2.52%. CONCLUSION: The overall infection rate was as low as 2.52% with single-shot co-amoxiclav prophylaxis, highlighting its potential benefit as prevention of SSI. KEYWORDS: Surgical Site Infections, Antibiotic Prophylaxis, Co-Amoxiclav, Surgical Procedures, Patient Safety.