Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (956 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Use of antibiotics before, during, or after a diagnostic, therapeutic, or surgical procedure to prevent infectious complications.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Prophylaxis, Antibiotic; Antibiotic Premedication; Antibiotic Premedications; Premedications, Antibiotic; Premedication, Antibiotic.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Chemoprevention; Premedication
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 17,167 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Antibiotic Prophylaxis” (counts retrieved 2026-10-29). 3,287 of them (19.1%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 6,183 records.
Reviews account for 3,656 records (21.3%) and meta-analyses for 629. Randomized controlled trials number 1,332 (7.8%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 2,994 |
| 2000-2009 | 4,703 |
| 2010-2019 | 6,183 |
| 2020 onward | 3,287 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 3,656 | 21.3% |
| Meta-analyses | 629 | 3.7% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 1,332 | 7.8% |
Method: PubMed query "Antibiotic Prophylaxis"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-29.
Reading the evidence in pharmacology
Drug evidence builds in layers: laboratory pharmacology describes how a compound acts, pharmacokinetic studies describe how the body handles it, and randomized trials test whether it helps and what harms it causes. Post-marketing surveillance and observational studies reveal rarer adverse effects but cannot prove causation. This page is educational and is not a recommendation to start, stop or change any medicine; decisions about treatment belong with a qualified clinician.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
Alternative to prophylactic antibiotics for the treatment of recurrent urinary tract infections in women: multicentre, open label, randomised, non-inferiority trial [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- ObjectiveTo test and compare the efficacy of methenamine hippurate for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections with the current standard prophylaxis of daily low dose antibiotics.
- Closing excerpt
- Trial registrationISRCTN70219762.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (281 words)
ObjectiveTo test and compare the efficacy of methenamine hippurate for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections with the current standard prophylaxis of daily low dose antibiotics.DesignMulticentre, open label, randomised, non-inferiority trial.SettingEight centres in the UK, recruiting from June 2016 to June 2018.ParticipantsWomen aged ≥18 years with recurrent urinary tract infections, requiring prophylactic treatment.InterventionsRandom assignment (1:1, using permuted blocks of variable length via a web based system) to receive antibiotic prophylaxis or methenamine hippurate for 12 months. Treatment allocation was not masked and crossover between arms was allowed.Main outcome measureAbsolute difference in incidence of symptomatic, antibiotic treated, urinary tract infections during treatment. A patient and public involvement group predefined the non-inferiority margin as one episode of urinary tract infection per person year. Analyses performed in a modified intention-to-treat population comprised all participants observed for at least six months.ResultsParticipants were randomly assigned to antibiotic prophylaxis (n=120) or methenamine hippurate (n=120). The modified intention-to-treat analysis comprised 205 (85%) participants (antibiotics, n=102 (85%); methenamine hippurate, n=103 (86%)). Incidence of antibiotic treated urinary tract infections during the 12 month treatment period was 0.89 episodes per person year (95% confidence interval 0.65 to 1.12) in the antibiotics group and 1.38 (1.05 to 1.72) in the methenamine hippurate group, with an absolute difference of 0.49 (90% confidence interval 0.15 to 0.84) confirming non-inferiority. Adverse reactions were reported by 34/142 (24%) in the antibiotic group and 35/127 (28%) in the methenamine group and most reactions were mild.ConclusionNon-antibiotic prophylactic treatment with methenamine hippurate might be appropriate for women with a history of recurrent episodes of urinary tract infections, informed by patient preferences and antibiotic stewardship initiatives, given the demonstration of non-inferiority to daily antibiotic prophylaxis seen in this trial.Trial registrationISRCTN70219762.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 35264408 · DOI · PMC8905684
Antibiotic prophylaxis in stone surgery: a systematic review of the literature [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- PurposeEndoscopic lithotripsy has become widely adopted worldwide and is considered the gold standard for managing upper urinary tract lithiasis.
- Closing excerpt
- percutaneous nephrolithotripsy, for those patients with positive preoperative urine cultures it is beneficial reducing the risk of postoperative infective complications.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (161 words)
PurposeEndoscopic lithotripsy has become widely adopted worldwide and is considered the gold standard for managing upper urinary tract lithiasis. One of its possible complications is post-operative infection. We aimed to review available literature about the role of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis and its indications.MethodsWe performed a systematic search of the literature including "ureteroscopy", "PNL", "retrograde intrarenal surgery", "antibiotic prophylaxis" and "sepsis" as keywords. Out of 760 relevant studies only 13 met our inclusion criteria: at least 10 adult patients (≥ 18 years old) diagnosed with kidney or ureteral stones; antibiotic prophylaxis described and reported; post-operative sepsis, UTI or SIRS assessed.ConclusionsAntibiotic prophylaxis strategies for stone surgery show different degrees of effectiveness depending on both the approach and the patient's condition. Today's evidence suggests that while routine antibiotic prophylaxis might not be necessary for all patients with sterile urine undergoing ureterorenoscopy and lithotripsy vs. percutaneous nephrolithotripsy, for those patients with positive preoperative urine cultures it is beneficial reducing the risk of postoperative infective complications.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40029456 · DOI · PMC11876188
Is routine antibiotic prophylaxis warranted in dental implant surgery to prevent early implant failure? - a systematic review [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundThe question of whether antibiotic prophylaxis should be administered routinely for dental implant surgery is unresolved.
- Closing excerpt
- The results do not support routine antibiotic prophylaxis for dental implant surgery.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (293 words)
BackgroundThe question of whether antibiotic prophylaxis should be administered routinely for dental implant surgery is unresolved. Despite the lack of conclusive supportive evidence, antibiotics are often administered to reduce the risk of infection, which could lead to early implant failure. Increasing antibiotic resistance is a major concern and it is therefore important to reduce the overall use of antibiotics, including in dentistry. The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of preoperative antibiotics in preventing early implant failure, in overall healthy patients undergoing dental implant surgery.MethodsAn electronic search was undertaken of PubMed (Medline), Web of Science and the Cochrane Library up to October 1st, 2023, to identify randomized clinical trials (RCTs). All RCTs comparing antibiotic prophylaxis with no antibiotics/placebo in overall healthy patients receiving dental implants were included. The primary outcome was patients with early implant failure. Risk of bias was assessed, data were extracted, a meta-analysis was done, and GRADE certainty-of-evidence ratings were determined. The risk ratio (RR), the risk difference (RD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated.ResultsAfter removal of duplicates, 1086 abstracts were screened, and 17 articles were reviewed in full text. Seven RCTs with moderate or low risk of bias and with a total of 1859 patients and 3014 implants were included in the meta-analysis. With reference to early implant failure at patient level, the meta-analysis failed to disclose any statistically significant difference (RR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.30-1.47) between antibiotic prophylaxis and a placebo. The risk difference was -0.007 (95% CI: -0.035-0.020) leading to a number needed to treat (NNT) of 143.ConclusionAntibiotic prophylaxis for dental implant surgery does not seem to have any substantial effect on early implant failure ( ). The results do not support routine antibiotic prophylaxis for dental implant surgery.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 39054434 · DOI · PMC11270919
European Network for Optimization of Veterinary Antimicrobial Therapy (ENOVAT) 2025 guidelines for surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis in dogs and cats [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis involves the administration of antimicrobials to reduce the risk of a surgical site infection and represents a significant proportion of all antimicrobial use in cats and dogs.
- Closing excerpt
- The European Network for Optimization of Veterinary Antimicrobial Therapy guidelines initiative encourages national or regional guideline makers to use the evidence presented in this document and the supporting systematic review to draft national or local guidance documents that support rational surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (221 words)
Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis involves the administration of antimicrobials to reduce the risk of a surgical site infection and represents a significant proportion of all antimicrobial use in cats and dogs. This evidence-based, European Network for Optimization of Veterinary Antimicrobial Therapy guideline provides recommendations for both peri- and post-operative surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis for a wide range of soft tissue and orthopaedic procedures performed in dogs and cats. A multidisciplinary panel developed the recommendations while adhering to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. The opinions of veterinary practitioners were incorporated to ensure applicability. Ten strong recommendations against, three conditional recommendations against and five conditional recommendations for the use of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis were drafted by the panel. Strong recommendations against surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis were often informed by low- to very low-certainty evidence that treatment has no beneficial effect. However, the anticipated harmful effects of antimicrobial use are well established and offer an important counterbalance to unsubstantiated use. Conditional recommendations were made when there was a probable balance of effects in one direction, although appreciable uncertainty was present. The European Network for Optimization of Veterinary Antimicrobial Therapy guidelines initiative encourages national or regional guideline makers to use the evidence presented in this document and the supporting systematic review to draft national or local guidance documents that support rational surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41431404 · DOI · PMC13136061
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Meta-analysis: antibiotic prophylaxis reduces mortality in neutropenic patients [5]
- Research article Antibiotic prophylaxis for permanent pacemaker implantation: a meta-analysis [6]
- Research article Meta-analysis: antibiotic prophylaxis for cirrhotic patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding - an updated Cochrane review [7]
- Research article Efficacy of prophylactic antibiotic therapy in spinal surgery: a meta-analysis [8]
- Research article Timing of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in 54,552 patients and the risk of surgical site infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis [9]
- Research article Antibiotic prophylaxis to reduce respiratory tract infections and mortality in adults receiving intensive care [10]
References
- Harding C, Mossop H, Homer T, Chadwick T, King W, Carnell S, et al.. Alternative to prophylactic antibiotics for the treatment of recurrent urinary tract infections in women: multicentre, open label, randomised, non-inferiority trial. . 2022. PMID 35264408 · DOI · PMC8905684
- Gavi F, Ragonese M, Fettucciari D, Sighinolfi MC, Sighinolfi MC, Turri F, et al.. Antibiotic prophylaxis in stone surgery: a systematic review of the literature. . 2025. PMID 40029456 · DOI · PMC11876188
- Momand P, Naimi-Akbar A, Hultin M, Lund B, Götrick B. Is routine antibiotic prophylaxis warranted in dental implant surgery to prevent early implant failure? - a systematic review. . 2024. PMID 39054434 · DOI · PMC11270919
- Allerton F, Sørensen TM, Scahill K, Ruperez JE, Swinbourne F, Verwilghen DR, et al.. European Network for Optimization of Veterinary Antimicrobial Therapy (ENOVAT) 2025 guidelines for surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis in dogs and cats. . 2026. PMID 41431404 · DOI · PMC13136061
- Gafter-Gvili A, Fraser A, Paul M, Leibovici L. Meta-analysis: antibiotic prophylaxis reduces mortality in neutropenic patients. Ann Intern Med. 2005. PMID 15968013 · DOI
- Da Costa A, Kirkorian G, Cucherat M, Delahaye F, Chevalier P, Cerisier A, et al.. Antibiotic prophylaxis for permanent pacemaker implantation: a meta-analysis. Circulation. 1998. PMID 9603534 · DOI
- Chavez-Tapia NC, Barrientos-Gutierrez T, Tellez-Avila F, Soares-Weiser K, Mendez-Sanchez N, Gluud C, et al.. Meta-analysis: antibiotic prophylaxis for cirrhotic patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding - an updated Cochrane review. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2011. PMID 21707680 · DOI
- Barker FG. Efficacy of prophylactic antibiotic therapy in spinal surgery: a meta-analysis. Neurosurgery. 2002. PMID 12182777 · DOI
- de Jonge SW, Gans SL, Atema JJ, Solomkin JS, Dellinger PE, Boermeester MA. Timing of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in 54,552 patients and the risk of surgical site infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017. PMID 28723736 · DOI · PMC5521876
- Liberati A, D'Amico R, Pifferi S, Torri V, Brazzi L, Parmelli E. Antibiotic prophylaxis to reduce respiratory tract infections and mortality in adults receiving intensive care. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009. PMID 19821262 · DOI · PMC7061255
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-29.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.