Affiliation:
1. College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati;
2. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati; and
3. Department of Neurology & Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Ohio
Abstract
The benefit of antibiotic irrigation for prophylaxis against wound infections, not only for traumatic cranial injuries but also in elective neurosurgical care, has recently been called into question. Several articles have cast doubt on the utility of topical antibiotics, and recently, bacitracin irrigation was made unavailable in some US markets. The pervasive nature of antibiotic irrigation, considering the lack of evidence supporting its use, led the authors to question when and how neurosurgeons started using antibiotic irrigation in cranial neurosurgery. Through a review of historical literature, they highlight the adoption of antibiotic irrigation as it began in battlefield surgical practice, gradually leading to the modern concept of antibiotic prophylaxis in civilian and military care.
Publisher
Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group (JNSPG)
Subject
Neurology (clinical),General Medicine,Surgery
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