Patterns of practice regarding surgical site infection prevention in head & neck surgery: An international survey

Introduction: Head & neck surgery encompasses a variety of surgical approaches for benign and malignant conditions. Due to the complexity in treating patients with head and neck pathology, it is necessary to adhere to basic surgical principles to decrease complications. Among them, surgical site infection can be prevented using a surgery quality protocol including the correct use of antibiotics and optimization of nutritional status. Materials and methods: A survey was sent through the YO-IFOS and SEORL-CCC international mailing list. Results: A total of 435 surgeons completed the survey. Of the respondents, 97.7% confirm that they scrub their hands before surgery, 40.9% respondents recommend nutritional support according to sign and symptoms, 60.9% use of antibiotic prophylaxis in clean surgery and just 9.2% use clindamycin in combination. Conclusion: This survey has broadened the scope regarding H&N surgical safety around the globe. Identifying innovative ways in which surgical care may be improved is mandatory.