The use of antibiotics in traumatology and orthopaedic surgery

The antibiotics are a very important adjuvant treatment in the infectious ostheoarticular pathology. Prevention of deep surgical wound and implant related infections in the surgical treatment of fractures and in the total hip and knee arthroplasty is made by prophylactic administration of antibiotics. The antibiotics are also used as a treatment for the ostheoarticular infections, but the antibiotic treatment is effective only together with a complete surgical treatment of the infection (infected implant or bone sequestrum removal). The staphylococcal infections are the most frequent orthopaedic implants infections, often occur with resistant staphylococcal species and they are a major public health problem. The characteristics of the implant material are also very important for the development of the infection, the surface of the implant influencing the bacterial colonization. The antibiotic prophylaxis can be made according to the international protocols, but our opinion is that the antibiotic prophylaxis should be made considering the specific germs of each hospital and their antibiotic sensitivity.