Reported practice patterns in the use of local antibiotics for fracture-related infection among SICOT respondents: an international survey.
9 affiliations
- 1Department of Trauma Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM University Hospital, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.
- 2Department of Traumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- 3Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, BG Klinikum Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- 4Lehrstuhl für Traumatologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, CharitéCentrum für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie CC 9, Berlin, Germany.
- 5Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma-Surgery, University Hospital Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- 6Pediatric Orthopaedics and Trauma, Al Jalila Children's Speciality Hospital, Dubai, UAE.
- 7NSH and NMH, Narayana Health Group of Hospitals, Kolkata, India.
- 8Department of Trauma Surgery, Diakonie Klinikum Landkreis Schwäbisch Hall, Schwäbisch Hall, Germany.
- 9Department of Trauma Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM University Hospital, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
Local antibiotics are increasingly used in the management of fracture-related infection (FRI), but international practice patterns regarding their indications, antibiotic selection, and application methods remain heterogeneous and insufficiently standardised.Methods
An international survey was conducted among members of the Société Internationale de Chirurgie Orthopédique et de Traumatologie (SICOT). The web-based questionnaire included 16 items on indications, antibiotic selection, and application methods. Participation was voluntary and self-selected. Responses were analysed descriptively, with regional stratification performed for exploratory purposes. Of 118 started questionnaires, 87 were included in the analysis (73.7%); the overall response rate could not be calculated because the total number of invited SICOT members was unavailable.Results
87 surgeons from six continents participated, most with extensive clinical experience. The analysis revealed substantial heterogeneity in the frequency of local antibiotic use as well as in the selected antibiotic agents and application methods. An increase in local antibiotic use over the past decade was reported by 48/87 (55.2%) respondents. The main reported reasons for using local antibiotics were surgeon's preference (44/87, 50.6%) and intraoperative findings (26/87, 29.9%).Conclusions
Among the surveyed SICOT respondents, local antibiotic use was reported across all represented regions, but substantial variation was observed in reported indications, antibiotic selection, and delivery methods. Given the unavailable invitation denominator and highly imbalanced regional sample sizes, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory and should not be considered evidence of treatment effectiveness or preferred practice.
Related
- Self-Reported Sanitation, Moisture Management, and Microbial Testing Practices Among Low-Moisture Food Safety Survey Respondents
- Focused Update to International Consensus Recommendations for the Use of Prolonged‐Infusion Beta‐Lactam Antibiotics Among Severely Ill Adult Patients: Endorsed by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists
- Timing uncertainty in first reported chronic disease across international aging cohorts
- Recorded Adverse Events and Patient-Reported Outcomes After Intra-articular Extracellular-Vesicle Product Administration for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Retrospective Single-Practice Case Series
- Reported policy impacts through intersectoral action as a public health practice for health equity: a rapid scoping review
BibTeX
@article{bielesch2026reported,
title = {{Reported practice patterns in the use of local antibiotics for fracture-related infection among SICOT respondents: an international survey.}},
author = {Gregor Bielesch and Conrad Ketzer and Ahmed Ellafi and Olivia Bohe and Peter Biberthaler and Philipp Rittstieg and Felix Karl-Ludwig Klingebiel and Roman Pfeifer and Georg Osterhoff and Stephan Frenzel and Sattar Alshryda and Arindam Banerjee and Stefan Huber-Wagner and Marc Hanschen and SICOT Global Research Network},
journal = {BMC musculoskeletal disorders},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1186/s12891-026-10585-7},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42875762},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Reported practice patterns in the use of local antibiotics for fracture-related infection among SICOT respondents: an international survey.
AU - Gregor Bielesch
AU - Conrad Ketzer
AU - Ahmed Ellafi
AU - Olivia Bohe
AU - Peter Biberthaler
AU - Philipp Rittstieg
AU - Felix Karl-Ludwig Klingebiel
AU - Roman Pfeifer
AU - Georg Osterhoff
AU - Stephan Frenzel
AU - Sattar Alshryda
AU - Arindam Banerjee
AU - Stefan Huber-Wagner
AU - Marc Hanschen
AU - SICOT Global Research Network
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - BMC musculoskeletal disorders
DO - 10.1186/s12891-026-10585-7
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42875762
AB - Background Local antibiotics are increasingly used in the management of fracture-related infection (FRI), but international practice patterns regarding their indications, antibiotic selection, and application methods remain heterogeneous and insufficiently standardised.Methods An international survey was conducted among members of the Société Internationale de Chirurgie Orthopédique et de Traumatologie (SICOT). The web-based questionnaire included 16 items on indications, antibiotic selection, and application methods. Participation was voluntary and self-selected. Responses were analysed descriptively, with regional stratification performed for exploratory purposes. Of 118 started questionnaires, 87 were included in the analysis (73.7%); the overall response rate could not be calculated because the total number of invited SICOT members was unavailable.Results 87 surgeons from six continents participated, most with extensive clinical experience. The analysis revealed substantial heterogeneity in the frequency of local antibiotic use as well as in the selected antibiotic agents and application methods. An increase in local antibiotic use over the past decade was reported by 48/87 (55.2%) respondents. The main reported reasons for using local antibiotics were surgeon's preference (44/87, 50.6%) and intraoperative findings (26/87, 29.9%).Conclusions Among the surveyed SICOT respondents, local antibiotic use was reported across all represented regions, but substantial variation was observed in reported indications, antibiotic selection, and delivery methods. Given the unavailable invitation denominator and highly imbalanced regional sample sizes, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory and should not be considered evidence of treatment effectiveness or preferred practice.
SN - 1471-2474
ER -