Cost-effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis of wound infection.

The estimated cost of a wound infection can vary substantially between countries and is dependent not only on the type of surgery performed, but also on varying medical practices and differing accounting methods. We therefore devised a flexible method to compare the cost-effectiveness of different antibiotic prophylactic regimens. Taking into account drug cost and the difference in infection rate between regimens, for any given wound infection cost, the analysis can indicate which regimen is most appropriate.