Surgical Infection Society Guidelines for Antibiotic Use in Patients Undergoing Cholecystectomy for Gallbladder Disease.

Manifestations of gallbladder disease range from intermittent abdominal pain (symptomatic cholelithiasis) to potentially life-threatening illness (gangrenous cholecystitis). Although surgical intervention to treat acute cholecystitis is well defined, the role of antibiotic administration before or after cholecystectomy to decrease morbidity or mortality is less clear. The Surgical Infection Society's Therapeutics and Guidelines Committee convened to develop guidelines for antibiotic use in patients undergoing cholecystectomy for gallbladder disease to prevent surgical site infection, other infection, hospital length of stay, or mortality.