Antimicrobial Prophylaxis
Write A Short Note On Antimicrobial Prophylaxis.
Answer:
Antimicrobial prophylaxis refers to the use of antimicrobials for preventing the setting of infection or suppressing the contracted infection before it becomes clinically manifested.
- Prophylaxis is often against all organisms capable of causing infection.
Various prophylactic uses may be categorized as:
1. Prophylaxis Against Specific Organisms:
- Rheumatic fever: Long-acting penicillin G
- Tuberculosis: Isoniazide alone or with rifampicin
- Meningococcal meningitis: Rifampicin
- Gonorrhea/Syphilis: Procaine and penicillin
- Malaria and endemic diseases: Chloroquine/Mefloquine
2. Prevention Of Infection In High-Risk Situations:
- Dental extraction, tonsillectomy, and endoscopies cause damage to mucosa harboring bacteria-bacteremia to occur.
- Appropriate prophylaxis with a suitable penicillin/cephalosporin
- Chronic obstructive lung disease: Ampicillin/tetracycline
- Surgical prophylaxis: Extensive, prolonged, and often combined use of AMAs is made for prophylaxis of infection after all surgical procedures.
- Many drugs like penicillin + streptomycin are injected as a single dose at the beginning of surgery to effectively reduce the incidence of wound infection.
- For dirty contaminated wounds (roadside accidents) ceftizoxime + gentamicin + metronidazole may be used.
Antimicrobial Prophylaxis In Surgery
3. Prevention Of Infection In General
- Neonates: Especially after prolonged or instrumental delivery.
- To prevent postpartum infections in mothers.
- Viral upper respiratory tract infections
- To prevent secondary bacterial invasion.
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