COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF ANTIBIOTIC-PROPHYLA XIS FOR CLOSED FRACTURES

Antibiotic prophylaxis in closed fractures is cost-effective if the ri sk of a deep infection is reduced by 0.25%. This control study was und ertaken to assess the cost-effectiveness of prophylaxis of postoperati ve infections after surgical treatment of closed fractures. The costs for 16 patients with infections (8 with deep infections, 8 with superf icial infections) were investigated and compared with the costs for 16 similar but non-infected patients with special reference to length of hospital stay, antibiotics and surgery. The data were collected from the trauma department of the University Hospital of the Free Universit y in Amsterdam. Costs in the group of 8 patients with superficial woun d infection were not substantially higher than those for their non-inf ected controls. The occurrence of a deep infection meant costs an aver age of DFL 35 224 higher than an uneventful postoperative course. On t he basis of these results, antibiotic prophylaxis of postoperative wou nd infections is cost-effective if it reduces the risk of deep wound i nfections by about 0.25%.