American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons’ Clinical Consensus Statement: Perioperative Prophylactic Antibiotic Use in Clean Elective Foot Surgery

Some controversy exists regarding the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in elective foot and ankle surgery. A task force was appointed by the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) to provide a clinical consensus statement on this topic. The panel members performed a literature search and identified 6 studies that met the inclusion criteria. They then developed a list of 13 questions about which they attempted to reach consensus using a modified Delphi method. The questions were grouped into 4 categories: indications for antibiotic prophylaxis relative to surgical procedure; antibiotic prophylaxis in high-risk patients; antibiotic selection; and timing of antibiotic prophylaxis. Consensus was reached for all 13 questions. The panel members found that studies pertaining specifically to elective foot and ankle surgeries that were not level I evidence generally did not recommend prophylaxis. They also found that multispecialty guidelines, which reflect data that are stronger, tended to recommend routine prophylaxis, especially for surgeries involving hardware. In addition, many hospital systems support routine prophylaxis by surgeons. More high-level evidence is required to make a definitive determination about whether prophylaxis is necessary in elective foot and ankle surgery. Until that time, routine prophylaxis will likely be continued at most institutions, because few complications have been reported with the practice.