Antimicrobials used for surgical prophylaxis by equine veterinary practitioners in Australia.
Authors: Hardefeldt L Y, Browning G F, Thursky K, Gilkerson J R, Billman-Jacobe H, Stevenson M A, Bailey K E
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Antimicrobial Surgical Prophylaxis in Australian Equine Practice: Survey Findings and Implications Appropriate antimicrobial selection for surgical prophylaxis is fundamental to infection control, yet Australian equine practitioners had received little guidance on dosing, timing and duration of therapy—prompting this cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 337 veterinarians to characterise current surgical prophylaxis practices. Whilst practitioners generally chose appropriate drug classes for specific surgical scenarios, compliance with evidence-based guidelines (specifically the British Equine Veterinary Association recommendations) was alarmingly poor, with optimal compliance ranging from just 1–15% across most procedures; notably, thoracic wound prophylaxis showed virtually no guideline compliance. University-based practitioners demonstrated significantly higher guideline adherence than general practitioners (odds ratio 3.2), and most non-compliance issues stemmed from inappropriate dosing, timing or duration rather than drug selection. The findings highlight substantial variability in surgical prophylaxis protocols across Australian equine practice, particularly regarding procaine penicillin dosing and wound management, suggesting an urgent need for locally developed guidelines and continuing education initiatives to standardise practice and reduce antimicrobial resistance risk. For equine professionals involved in surgical care, these results underscore the importance of reviewing individual prophylaxis protocols against current best-practice guidelines and seeking clarification on evidence-based dosing schedules, especially for high-risk contaminated wounds.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Review your surgical prophylaxis protocols against current BEVA guidelines, particularly for antimicrobial dosing (especially procaine penicillin) and treatment duration, as most practices show significant variations
- •Contaminated thoracic wound management requires urgent attention in Australian equine practice, with compliance rates near zero suggesting need for practice-specific guidance
- •Consider accessing antimicrobial stewardship resources and guidelines to improve responsible use and ensure appropriate dosing, timing, and duration rather than relying on habit or anecdotal practice
Key Findings
- •Optimal compliance with British Equine Veterinary Association guidelines for surgical prophylaxis was poor across all scenarios, ranging from 1-15% except for dermal mass removal (42%)
- •Suboptimal compliance (correct antimicrobial selection but inappropriate timing, dose, or duration) was moderate at 48-68% for most scenarios, but only 1% for contaminated thoracic wounds
- •Antimicrobial dosing and duration varied greatly among practitioners, indicating lack of standardized protocols
- •University hospital veterinarians had 3.2 times higher odds of guideline compliance compared to general practice veterinarians (P = 0.03)