Antibiotic prophylaxis: the who, when, where, why, and with what!

In our daily routines in the endoscopy suite antibiotic prophylaxis is often discussed, debated and provided to our patients. Review of the literature provides little data on the safety and efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis and on the patient population who should receive this form of therapy. The purpose of this review is to try to put into perspective the rationale and potential protocols for provision of antibiotic prophylaxis in our patients.