[Perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis]

Abstract

Perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis (AMP) is an important but not the only procedure to prevent surgical site infections. The effectiveness of AMP to prevent surgical site infections has been proven in numerous studies during the last decades and is part of national and international guidelines. The choice of the antibiotic as well as the duration, time point and mode of application strongly impact on the effectiveness of the prophylaxis. This article provides an overview on recommended antibiotics for AMP and their activity against the expected bacterial pathogens in elective surgery. Furthermore, the current spectrum of microorganisms most frequently isolated from surgical site infections and alternative antibiotic strategies are discussed.