Surgical wound infection

Article Abstract:

Postoperative wound infections are defined as infections that develop within 30 days after surgery. Most wound infections occur within four to eight days following surgery and can be diagnosed and treated in the home or outpatient clinic. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common causes of postoperative wound infection. The incidence of infection varies depending on the hospital, surgeon, type of surgery, and the patient. It is estimated that postoperative wound infections develop in about 3 out of every 100 operations performed, accounting for 24 percent of the total number of infections acquired during hospitalization. Studies have shown that the more time the patient spends in the hospital prior to the operation the more likely he or she is to develop an infection after the operation. The practice of admitting patients for elective surgery or outpatient surgery on the morning of the operation or on the evening prior to the operation greatly reduces the chance of infection. Shaving hair prior to the operation is a common practice and it has been shown to increase the risk of infection. The use of depilatory creams or scissors for hair removal results in a lower rate of postoperative infection than using razors. Also, studies have shown that the risk of infection increases as the time of the surgery increases. Patients can reduce their risk of infection by showering or bathing with antiseptics before the operation. Antibiotics should be administered within 30 minutes of the first incision made during the surgery in order to prevent infections. It is recommended that all hospitals develop an effective program for controlling and preventing postoperative wound infections. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Nosocomial infections, Cross infection

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Risk factors for postoperative infection

Article Abstract:

Anytime a surgical procedure is performed the patient is at risk for developing a postoperative wound infection. The risk of developing an infection varies depending on the patient's condition and the type of surgery that is being performed. In order to identify specific risk factors for developing postoperative wound infections, the medical records of 1,852 surgery patients attending a university-affiliated community hospital were reviewed. More than 98 percent of the operations could be classified as elective surgery. The majority of the patients were between the ages of 31 and 70, and spent three days or less in the hospital prior to the surgery. Cholecystectomies (removal of the gallbladder) and hernia repairs accounted for 57 percent of all the operations. Just prior to the completion of each operation, a small sample of tissue from the open wound was taken and cultured (tested) for bacteria. A total of 120 postoperative wound infections were diagnosed. Microorganisms were identified in 87 cases and Staphylococcus aureus was the most common. Of the 87 patients, 52 had been treated with antibiotics prior to surgery, and 38 of these patients developed infections with microorganisms that were resistant to the antibiotics they had received. The factors most likely to increase the risk of postoperative infection include longer hospitalization prior to the surgery, the presence of an infection at another body site at the time of the surgery, a positive bacterial culture test, and longer operation time. Surgery performed on lower abdominal areas was associated with a higher rate of postoperative infection than surgery performed on upper abdominal sites. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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Analysis of risk factors for surgical wound infections following vascular surgery

Article Abstract:

Surgical wound infections (SWI) are those that develop at the site were the surgery was performed. They are not very common following vascular surgery (surgery performed on blood vessels), but when they do occur they can result in death in 30 to 50 percent of the cases. This article describes the results of a study designed to identify risk factors for SWI in patients undergoing vascular surgery. The study included 561 patients from four different hospitals. The most common postoperative infections were urinary tract infections, SWI and lower respiratory tract infections. The incidence of SWI varied among the four different hospitals and ranged from 2 to 6 percent for all types of vascular surgery, and from 3 percent to 8 percent for vascular surgery performed on the legs and feet. Of the patients who developed SWI, 9 percent died, 22 percent had to have their prosthetic devices removed, and 48 percent had to have additional surgery. Risk factors that increase the likelihood of SWI include vascular surgery on the lower extremities, insulin-dependent diabetes, prior vascular surgery, delay in performing the surgery, and short-term treatment with antibiotics (three doses of cefamandole). The results of this study indicate that most of the risk factors for SWI in vascular surgery patients cannot be modified. Therefore, special precautions should be taken to identify and provide proper preventive treatment for patients with the greatest risk for SWI. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Prevention, Blood vessels, Vascular surgery

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