Bacteriology & Antibiotics

Antibiotic Prophylaxis

Antibiotic prophylaxis is the use of antibiotics before surgery or a dental procedure to prevent a bacterial infection. However, antibiotic prophylaxis is still used in people who have certain risk factors for bacterial infection. The most common antibiotics used before surgeries are cephalosporins, such as cefazolin and cefuroxime. People who may need antibiotic prophylaxis usually have factors that put them at higher risk of infection during surgery than the general population.