EVALUATION OF PULMONARY INFECTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH EXTREMITY FRACTURES AND BLUNT CHEST TRAUMA

The use of preventive antibiotics has become the standard of care in t he management of patients with multiple trauma who have injuries at ri sk for infection. In many areas of surgical practice, preventive antib iotic utilization has been restricted to the perioperative period only . In this study we reviewed a series of trauma patients with combined blunt chest injuries and extremity fractures to determine whether the duration of postoperative antibiotic administration would have adverse effects upon nosocomial pneumonia rates and severity.