antibiotic lock

noun

Medical Definition of antibiotic lock

: a technique in which a concentrated antibiotic solution is instilled and kept within a patient's catheter for a prolonged period (such as 10 to 12 hours) to prevent or treat a catheter-related infection The antibiotic lock is aimed at decreasing intraluminal microbial colonization … — Elizabeth Krzywda et al., in The Science and Practice of Nutrition Support …, 2001 Catheters that are not easily replaced can sometimes be treated successfully with antibiotic lock therapy …— Paul L. Marino and Kenneth M. Sutin, The Little ICU Book of Facts & Formulas, 2009