Prescribing antibiotic prophylaxis in orthognathic surgery: a systematic review

There is no consensus on the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in orthognathic surgery to prevent infections. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials investigating the efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis was performed to make evidence-based recommendations. A search of Embase, Ovid Medline, and Cochrane databases (1966–November 2012) was conducted and the reference lists of articles identified were checked for relevant studies. Eleven studies were eligible and were reviewed independently by the authors using two validated quality assessment scales. Three studies were identified to have a low risk of bias and eight studies a high risk of bias. Most studies compared preoperative and perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis with or without continuous postoperative administration. Methodological flaws in the included studies were no description of inclusion and exclusion criteria and incorrect handling of dropouts and withdrawals. Studies investigating the efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis are not placebo-controlled and mainly of poor quality. Based on the available evidence, preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis appears to be effective in reducing the postoperative infection rate in orthognathic surgery. However, there is no evidence for the effectiveness of prescribing additional continuous postoperative antibiotics. More trials with a low risk of bias are needed to produce evidence-based recommendations and establish guidelines.