Assessment of surgical prophylactic antibiotic use in a Tertiary Care Hospital Serving a Coal-Mining Community

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a major postoperative complication, and appropriate surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) is critical to reduce infection risk. This six-month prospective observational study evaluated the rational use of prophylactic antibiotics among 163 patients undergoing surgery in a tertiary care hospital serving a coal-mining workforce. Data on patient demographics, type and duration of surgery, wound classification, and details of antibiotic prophylaxis—including drug, dose, timing, and duration were collected using a structured proforma and analyzed with descriptive statistics in Microsoft Excel and GraphPad Prism 5.0. Results showed a mean patient age of 38.48 ± 15.9 years with a female predominance (54%), and the majority of surgeries were in Gynaecology (36.8%). Clean wounds constituted 69.3% of cases, and the average surgical duration was 70.93 ± 41.94 minutes. Patients received an average of 2.41 ± 1.14 antibiotics, with ceftriaxone used in 73% of cases; single-drug prophylaxis was administered in 30% of patients, while the remainder received combinations of up to five antibiotics. No significant association was observed between wound type, gender, or surgery duration. The findings highlight frequent use of broad-spectrum and multi-drug prophylactic regimens, emphasizing the need for improved adherence to evidence-based SAP guidelines and enhanced antimicrobial stewardship to optimize antibiotic use and reduce unnecessary exposure in surgical patients.