Giving antibiotics on time during major abdominal surgery is important to reduce the risk of infection. SCOAP hospitals are monitoring the on-time delivery of antibiotics during elective surgery (here shown for colon and rectal surgeries and weight loss surgery) and working to get all patients to have these medications within 60 minutes prior to the start of surgery. The goal is to have 100% of patients undergoing major abdominal surgical procedures to get timely antibiotics.
Some hospitals that are more successful at this have created programs to make sure that the operation does not start until the timely administration of antibiotics has been confirmed and re-dose if the window has been missed because they were given too early. Some SCOAP hospitals that are underperforming on this care measure are working to improve these measures by using specific guidelines or protocols.
What can you do about this?
Ask your surgeon and nurse about their SCOAP report regarding antibiotic on time delivery so they know you care! Ask if they have a plan to give you your antibiotics on time.