BACKGROUNDBacterial infections remain a serious complication following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The objective of the study was to determine the effectiveness of a guideline for the appropriate use of antibiotics in CABG during the perioperative period.

METHODSSix hundred and fourteen hospitalized patients who had undergone CABG from January to June 2006 were randomly allocated to an intervention group and a control group. The data on the hospital stay, days of antibiotic used, types of prophylactic antibiotics used, surgical wound infection and pulmonary infection and antibiotic costs for the patients were compared.

RESULTSThe postoperative hospitalization days of the intervention group were significantly fewer than that for the control group (P < 0.05). The time of antibiotic use and post-infection treatment time were also significantly less in the intervention group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The average hospital daily cost and total cost of antibiotics were less in the intervention group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, prophylactic antibiotic use in the intervention group was more reasonable.

CONCLUSIONSThe guideline for the appropriate use of antibiotics in CABG during the perioperative period is effective strategies for reducing antibiotic costs, the time of antibiotic use and post-infection treatment time without compromising the patients' clinical outcome.