OBJECTIVES: To observe the most frequently used antibiotics and the prevalence of SSIs among the patients admitted for surgical procedures.

METHODS: The sample size was taken to be 105 after following exclusion and inclusion criteria. The patient data, antibiotics administered, time and duration of antibiotics was taken from patient profile form. The evaluation of SSIs was done. Data collection was done after obtaining written informed consent form from the patient. After collection of data the data was statistically evaluated in the Microsoft excel software. The duration of the study was 6 months.

RESULTS: The most prescribed antibiotic was cefuroxime belonging to the cephalosporin class, while other distribution of antibiotics class included, 42 of penicillin, 93 of cephalosporin, and 11 of beta-lactam, 80 of aminoglycoside, 4 of fluoroquinolones, 38 of nitroimidazole and 2 of the tetracycline class. Cholelithiasis (48%) was the major cause of the surgery.

CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates that the majority of the patients undergoing surgery had been suffering from cholelithiasis, which may be related to genetic and demographical factors or maybe both. While culture sensitivity tests on every patient are much needed, without sensitivity tests, the use of antibiotics is inappropriate. Only a few patients have been prescribed an antibiotic sensitivity test. The rational use of antibiotics led to the proper treatment outcome as the incidence of surgical site infections was found to be less.