title: Perioperative pharmacology: antibiotic administration.
abstract: Accurate and timely administration of antibiotics is a crucial element of perioperative patient care but, often, pharmacologic implications of antibiotics are overlooked or misunderstood. Preventable medication errors that involve antimicrobials occur throughout the perioperative continuum. Examples of errors associated with antimicrobial use include omitted doses, duplicate doses, incorrect doses, and antimicrobial products given to patients with preexisting allergies. Perioperative nurses can contribute to safe antibiotic administration through education and improved communication. Perioperative managers should ensure that practitioners have access to standards for antibiotic administration and accurate information and assistive technologies. Numerous resources, including measurement tools and published guidelines, are available to support adherence to surgical site infection prevention requirements and assist in ensuring effective and safe perioperative antibiotic use.
authors.affiliation: Perioperative Clinical Nurse Specialist Program, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Nursing, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wanzer
authors.forename: Bradlee
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goeckner
authors.forename: Rodney W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Hicks
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004496:Education, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors; D013527:Perioperative Nursing
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents