Antibiotic prophylaxis in cardiac surgery--general principles.

Appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis in cardiac surgery can substantially reduce the number of postoperative infections. To avoid misuse, special concerns - such as timing and duration of antibiotics - must be taken into account. Increasing evidence supports that 24 h antibiotic prophylaxis is sufficient for most major surgical procedures. The prophylactic antibiotic should cover the spectrum of bacteria that are likely to be encountered. The emergence of MRSA raises special questions of antibiotic choice as well as route of administration.