AANA Journal: Improving Small-Volume Antibiotic Administration for Surgical Prophylaxis: A Quality Improvement Project-Improving Small-Volume Antibiotic Administration for Surgical Prophylaxis: A Quality Improvement Project

Improving Small-Volume Antibiotic Administration for Surgical Prophylaxis: A Quality Improvement Project

Pdf Summary

A study conducted at a large academic medical center found that there was a lack of clear policy on the administration methods for small-volume intravenous antibiotic bags, leading to variations in anesthesia provider practice. The recommended practice was to administer the antibiotics via secondary tubing to minimize medication losses. An educational intervention was conducted to educate anesthesia providers on best practices for administration, and three post-intervention cycles were conducted to evaluate changes in practice and the reduction of medication losses. The study found statistically significant decreases in dead volume losses post-intervention, indicating a reduction in medication waste. The most common tubing set used pre-intervention was primary tubing, while post-intervention, the most common tubing set used was secondary tubing. Overall, the study showed that changing the practice to secondary tubing resulted in a significant reduction in dead volumes of antibiotics, leading to improved medication administration and reduced wastage. The study suggests that this intervention can be a beneficial new practice for improving the administration of small-volume antibiotics for surgical prophylaxis.

Keywords

academic medical center

administration methods

anesthesia provider practice

medication losses

educational intervention

post-intervention cycles

secondary tubing

dead volume losses

medication administration

surgical prophylaxis