Antibiotic prophylaxis for nasal packing, an updated review
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Keywords
prophylaxis, antibiotics, nasal packing, safety
Abstract
Antibiotic prophylaxis in nasal packing is a widely used practice due to the possible risk of toxic shock syndrome and infectious complications. Lately, its real impact has been questioned due to the associated risks with antibiotic use and low incidence of infectious complications. A comprehensive review of the literature on the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in nasal packing was performed. No statistically significant differences in the incidence of infectious complications and no reports of toxic shock syndrome were reported in any of the groups with and without antibiotic prophylaxis. There were no significant differences in the antibiotic cultures of patients with or without prophylactic antibiotics in nasal packing due to epistaxis. The use of antibiotic prophylaxis in nasal packing is a questionable practice and further studies are required.