▁for ▁non - comp licated ▁ac ute ▁append ic itis . ▁ ▁Ant ib iot ics ▁may ▁be ▁given ▁as ▁a ▁prevent ive ▁measure ▁and ▁this ▁is ▁usually ▁limited ▁to ▁at - ris k ▁populations ▁such ▁as ▁those ▁with ▁a ▁weak ened ▁imm une ▁system ▁( part icular ly ▁in ▁H IV ▁cases ▁to ▁prevent ▁p neum onia ), ▁those ▁taking ▁imm unos upp ress ive ▁dru gs , ▁cancer ▁patients , ▁and ▁those ▁having ▁surg ery . ▁Their ▁use ▁in ▁surg ical ▁procedures ▁is ▁to ▁help ▁prevent ▁in fection ▁of ▁in cis ions . ▁They ▁have ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁dent al ▁ant ib i otic ▁pro phy la xis ▁where ▁their ▁use ▁may ▁prevent ▁b acter emia ▁and ▁consequ ent ▁inf ect ive ▁end oc ard itis . ▁Ant ib iot ics ▁are ▁also ▁used ▁to ▁prevent ▁in fection ▁in ▁cases ▁of ▁neut rop enia ▁particularly ▁cancer - related . ▁ ▁Administration ▁There ▁are ▁many ▁different ▁routes ▁of ▁administration ▁for ▁ant ib i otic ▁treatment . ▁Ant ib iot ics ▁are ▁usually ▁taken ▁by ▁mouth . ▁In ▁more ▁severe ▁cases , ▁particularly ▁deep - se ated ▁system ic ▁in fe ctions , ▁ant ib iot ics ▁can ▁be ▁given ▁int ra ven ously ▁or ▁by ▁injection . ▁Where ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁in fection ▁is ▁easily ▁accessed , ▁ant ib iot ics ▁may ▁be ▁given ▁top ically ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁eye ▁dro ps ▁onto ▁the ▁conj unct iva ▁for ▁conj unct iv itis ▁or ▁ear ▁dro ps ▁for ▁ear ▁in fe