Prophylactic antibiotics in surgery

In the UK, it is estimated that 1 in 10 patients admitted to hospital will develop a health care- associated infection; costing the NHS an estimated £1 billion per annum. Included in these figures are approximately 4% of surgical patients who develop a surgical-site infection, adding an average of 6.5 days to their hospital stay. Prophylactic antibiotics can reduce the risk of surgical-site infections. This contribution discusses the theory behind the use of prophylaxis, including adjuncts to standard intravenous regimens and the impact of antibiotic resistance.