Percent of Surgery Patients Who Received Preventive Antibiotic(s) One Hour Before Incision

Why Is This Treatment Important?

Antibiotics are medicines to prevent and treat infections. Research shows that surgery patients who get antibiotics within the hour before their operation are less likely to get wound infections. Getting an antibiotic earlier, or after surgery begins, is not as effective. This shows how often hospitals make sure surgery patients get antibiotics at the right time.

What the Scores Mean

A higher percentage, or score, is good because it means more patients received the recommended treatment. However, a lower score does not necessarily indicate poor care. You should consider the overall quality of a facility in addition to individual category scores.

About the Data

The data on this site is reported to the Department of Health and Human Services and is updated on a quarterly basis. It represents patient care data from July 2010 through June 2011, which was released in May 2012. The explanation of the data is courtesy of the Department of Health and Human Services. For more information, please visit the Hospital Compare website.