Antibiotic prophylaxis is the use of antimicrobial agents to prevent infection in patients at identifiable risk, distinct from their use to treat established disease. The most common application is surgical prophylaxis, in which a single agent is timed so that protective tissue concentrations are present at incision…
Antibiotic prophylaxis is the use of antimicrobial agents to prevent infection in patients at identifiable risk, distinct from their use to treat established disease. The most common application is surgical prophylaxis, in which a single agent is timed so that protective tissue concentrations are present at incision in order to reduce surgical site infection. Selection is guided by the organisms likely to contaminate the operative field, by appropriate dose and redosing for prolonged procedures, and by keeping duration short to limit unnecessary exposure. Beyond surgery, prophylaxis is employed to prevent infective endocarditis before certain dental and invasive procedures, to suppress recurrent infections such as urinary tract infection, and to protect immunocompromised patients from opportunistic organisms. Because such regimens contribute substantially to total antibiotic consumption, they are a central concern of antimicrobial stewardship, which aims to optimise prescriber knowledge and practice, conserve effective drugs and slow the emergence of resistance. Mismatched spectrum, incorrect timing or excessive duration can both fail to prevent infection and accelerate the selection of resistant strains, a pressing issue given persistent challenges with surgical site infection across procedures including caesarean section. Rational antibiotic prophylaxis thus weighs demonstrable infection prevention against the resistance and ecological costs that accompany every antimicrobial exposure.
6 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 6 articles above have been cited 9 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Antibiotic Prophylaxis, linking to each citing work.