Antibiotic therapy and the anesthesiologist.

The anesthesiologist is frequently responsible for administering antibiotics in the immediate preoperative and intraoperative periods. Anesthesiologists often are not trained in the administration of antibiotics, which can be associated with both acute and long-term complications including potentiation of neuromuscular blocking agents, allergic reactions, and end-organ toxicity. The indications for perioperative antibiotics, proper method of administration, and occurrence and treatment of major side effects of the more commonly recommended prophylactic antibiotics are discussed.