Final answer:
Antibiotics are prescribed before surgery to reduce the risk of a patient developing a hospital-acquired infection (HAI). By taking a pre-surgery antibiotic, the risk of HAI is almost halved.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pre-surgery antibiotic prescriptions are common and have a rationale behind them. Antibiotics are prescribed before surgery to reduce the risk of a patient developing a hospital-acquired infection (HAI). By taking a pre-surgery antibiotic, the risk of HAI is almost halved. This is supported by studies that have shown a lower incidence of HAI in patients who received antibiotics before surgery