Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Antimicrobial prophylaxis in dermatologic surgery.

Jan V Hirschmann1

  • 1VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Cutis
|July 26, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A 62-year-old man with skin rash and an abnormal chest radiograph.

Chest·2015
Same author

Practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of skin and soft tissue infections: 2014 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·2014
Same author

Practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of skin and soft tissue infections: 2014 update by the infectious diseases society of America.

Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·2014
Same author

A man in his early 70s with progressive dyspnea and abnormal fundoscopic examination.

Chest·2014
Same author

Herpes zoster.

The New England journal of medicine·2013
Same author

A 71-year-old man with fever, productive cough, and tree-in-bud pattern on chest CT scan.

Chest·2013
Same journal

A Solitary Axillary Subcutaneous Mass.

Cutis·2026
Same journal

Microcystic Adnexal Carcinoma-like Neoplasm in a Patient With POT1 Mutation.

Cutis·2026
Same journal

A Hybrid Suture Technique: Suture Modification With Dental Roll Insertion.

Cutis·2026
Same journal

Beyond Conventional Paradigms: Rethinking the Evaluation and Management of Melasma.

Cutis·2026
Same journal

Social Drivers of Health Curriculum for Dermatology Residents: the UCSF Experience.

Cutis·2026
Same journal

Hospital Dermatology: Review of Research in 2024-2025.

Cutis·2026
See all related articles

Antimicrobial prophylaxis is rarely needed for dermatologic surgery. Current evidence does not support using antibiotics to prevent infections in patients with implants or heart conditions, or for routine wound infection prevention.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatologic Surgery
  • Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

  • Dermatologic procedures rarely lead to bacteremia.
  • Existing medical conditions like valvular heart disease or implants (vascular grafts, orthopedic prostheses) are seldom complicated by dermatologic surgery.
  • Postoperative wound infections from dermatologic surgery are infrequent and typically mild.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the necessity of antimicrobial prophylaxis in dermatologic surgery.
  • To determine the efficacy of systemic antibiotics for preventing infections in high-risk patients undergoing dermatologic procedures.
  • To assess the role of antimicrobial prophylaxis in preventing postoperative wound infections and herpes simplex virus reactivation.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and evidence synthesis on antimicrobial prophylaxis in dermatologic surgery.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of case reports and studies linking dermatologic procedures to systemic infections.
  • Evaluation of data on the incidence and severity of wound infections after dermatologic surgery.

    • Main Results:

    • Dermatologic surgery is rarely associated with bacteremia or systemic infections, even in patients with cardiac conditions or implants.
    • Systemic antimicrobial prophylaxis is not indicated for patients with valvular heart disease, vascular grafts, or orthopedic prostheses undergoing dermatologic surgery.
    • Systemic antimicrobial prophylaxis is not recommended for preventing postoperative wound infections, and topical antibiotic ointments are ineffective.
    • The benefit of prophylactic antivirals for preventing herpes simplex virus reactivation after facial resurfacing remains uncertain.

    Conclusions:

    • Routine antimicrobial prophylaxis is not recommended for dermatologic surgery.
    • Prophylactic antibiotics are not indicated for patients with specific medical devices or conditions.
    • Further research is needed to clarify the role of prophylactic antivirals in specific dermatologic procedures.