Pharmacoeconomic analysis of antibiotic therapy in maxillofacial surgery

OBJECTIVES/AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the microbial cultures collected in the years 2013–2014 at the craniomaxillofacial department and outpatient clinic to analyse optimisation of the treatment cost of the bacterial infections and present the results. DESIGN AND SETTING: We analysed 485 cultures from 263 patients, of which 77.28% consisted of Gram-positive bacteria. On the basis of the antibiotic efficacy, antibiotic price and the cost of entire treatment during hospitalisation, the most useful antimicrobial agents for the most common pathogens were selected. RESULTS: The most frequently collected material was pus. The most common pathogens were found to be the Staphylococcus epidermidis (18%), Streptococcus mitis and Str. oralis (14%) and S. aureus (6.5%). DISCUSSION: The most frequently isolated bacteria in other studies were the Streptococcus strain. Other authors showed that ceftriaxone is the most cost efficient agent. The use of postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis remains controversial. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the most useful antibiotics for therapy, from the perspective of the cost minimisation, were gentamycin, trimethoprim with sulfamethoxazole and vancomycin.