Don’t Let Hypersensitivity Fears Discourage Cefazolin Use in Joint Arthroplasty

Meghan N. Jeffres, PharmD, says that her new study demonstrates that cefazolin should be considered first-line regardless of penicillin allergy. “Prosthetic joint infections, in particular, are very bad, with a five-year mortality rate of 30 percent, and preventing them should be high on our list. Our study shows that cefazolin is significantly better than clindamycin and/or vancomycin in achieving that goal, without added HSR risk,” she said.