Use in upper airway surgery

The use of antimicrobials in upper airway surgery can be complex and factors that should be considered are the immunological state of the patient, likely bacteria to be encountered during the procedure, classification of the procedure and whether an implant is used during the procedure. Other factors to consider are FEI/BHA withdrawal times as it is more common for horses competing in these disciplines to undergo upper respiratory surgery. Timing of antimicrobial administration is important with perioperative antimicrobials to be given at least 30 min but no more than 60 min prior to the start of the procedure [1] to allow peak antimicrobial levels throughout the procedure. Duration of antimicrobial course is dependant on the type of procedure performed, risk of infection and clinician preference ...