The recent article on antibiotic prophylaxis by Bratzler et al1 is a treasure trove of important information about the standards of surgical practice that are increasingly likely to become part of a quality template for the practice of elective surgery. Given both the format and the extended nature of the article, some of its points could easily be overlooked and/or misunderstood. Another article from this group has been published2 and republished3 because of the important message.