Evaluation of antimicrobial prophylaxis procedures in cardiac surgery patients with delayed sternal closure

Implementation of a 24-hour antimicrobial prophylaxis guideline for patients with delayed sternal closure significantly reduced broad-spectrum post-operative antimicrobial use without increasing surgical site infection risk in 75-patient cohort. The median duration of prophylaxis decreased from 120 to 45 hours, and surgical site infection rates were 3% pre-intervention versus 0% post-intervention.