[Antibiotic prophylaxis and endoluminal tubes].

Surgical site infections are one of the most common complications after surgical procedures. The use of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis can successfully reduce the number of wound infections. The indications, timing and choice of antibiotics are discussed critically. Taken together antibiotic prophylaxis should be evaluated depending on wound contamination, the type of operation and patient-specific risk factors. In the second part of this work the current literature on the effectiveness of endoluminal tubes in abdominal surgery is analyzed. While many surgeons use these tubes regularly in elective abdominal surgery, only few data are available on this topic. The use of nasogastric tubes in elective surgery should be avoided.