One doctor routinely prescribes a preventative antibiotic following surgery. Another does not. Why?

Question

The procedure: removal of bunion. The patient: extremely healthy female in mid-20's with very low blood pressure.

I am aware that doctors will do many things differently. I am wondering about any and all of the specific reasons that a doctor may or may not mention for this difference.

In this case, the patient had to return the following day for antibiotics. Whereas, a friend who had the same surgery received a preventative perscription.

Answer 1

First of all, there are many surgeries for which antibiotics are not needed, so giving antibiotics would put the patient at a heightened risk for anaphylaxis, bacterial resistance, and nephro/oto/hepato-toxicity (depending on the drug given).

Secondly, preventative antibiotics are given mostly one hour before a surgery just to be on the safe side.

And finally after surgery if a patient's wound is not healing or worse case of where it has caught an infection. Antibiotics may be given as a precautionary measure for the wound to heal without getting infected ( rare cases ) and if the wound has got infected, it becomes necessary for prescribing antibiotics.

Wish You All The Best !

Answer 2

This type of medical practice (preventative antibiotics vs giving them after illness appears) is a personal preference of the doctor him/herself.  I personally think the doctor who practices using preventative tools is more on the ball and more concerned with the overall health of his patient.

Answer 3

I agree with the post above by Matrix that the type of surgery would dictate whether or not an antibiotic would be prescribed post-surgery, and that if it isn't normally required, different doctors might have different feelings about antibiotic resistance and different levels of concern about adverse effects.  I don't know about bunion surgery, but would tend to think that it would be less worrisome than other surgeries in terms of bacterial infections.