The Role of Antibiotics in Open Fractures

The operative aspect of treatment begins with irrigation and abrement, temporary fracture stabilization, local antibiotic administration and soft tissue coverage. The ideal time to soft tissue coverage is controversial but most centers perform this within 5-7 days. Outcomes of definitive treatment with internal fixation leads to significantly decreased time to union,. improved functional outcomes and decreased time in the hospital compared to those definitively fixed with external fixation.