Peri-operative antibiotics for superficial hand trauma

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: The aim is to undertake a systematic review of all reliable studies of peri-operative antibiotic use in hand wounds that penetrate through the skin and into the subcutaneous tissue only. Specific questions to be addressed by the review are: a) Does the use of antibiotics influence the infection rate?b) If so, what is the optimum treatment regimen with regard to dose, timing of administration and duration of antibiotic course. c) Is intravenous /oral /topical/combination therapy the most effective?d) If so is there one clinically effective antibiotic that is most cost effective?