Current potential for antibiotic prophylaxis in surgery
The need for perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) during surgical operations is proved and acknowledged. Adequate AP not only reduces the incidence of postoperative infectious complications, but also significantly affects the most important measures of treatment effectiveness, such as the duration of hospital treatment, the cost of hospital bed-day, and mortality. The data for risk factors of postoperative wound infections, choice of antibiotic for the AP in the light of patient’s "antibacterial history» are presented; particular attention is given to the peculiarities of AP in cardiac surgery.

Keywords: cephalosporins, antibiotic prophylaxis, antimicrobial prophylaxis, postoperative infection, antibiotics