Surgical infections
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Surgical infections · Jun 2013
Risk factors for surgical site infections in abdominal surgery: a study in Nepal.
Surgical site infection (SSI) remains a major clinical problem for developing countries in terms of morbidity, mortality, and hospital cost. Little is known about the epidemiology of SSI in Nepal. We conducted a study in Nepal to identify the various pre- and intra-operative risk factors for SSIs that are accessible to interventions. ⋯ Surgical site infection is common among patients undergoing abdominal surgery at TUTH. This study identified some preventable risk factors associated with SSI at TUTH. Identification of such risk factors is expected to help surgeons improve patient care and decrease mortality and morbidity as well as the hospital-care cost of surgical patients.
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Surgical infections · Feb 2013
Comparative StudyPercutaneous versus open tracheostomy: comparison of procedures and surgical site infections.
Tracheostomy is one of the most common procedures performed in trauma patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Few studies have evaluated the incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) specifically in a trauma population. Our objective was to compare the incidence of SSI after open versus percutaneous tracheostomy and to discern whether there were any differences in outcome. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the largest study of the benefit of percutaneous tracheostomy in a critically injured trauma population. The risk of SSI is significantly lower after percutaneous than open tracheostomy.
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Surgical infections · Dec 2012
Epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage and MRSA surgical site infections in patients undergoing colorectal surgery: a cohort study in two centers.
Surgical site infections (SSIs) after colorectal surgery usually are caused by commensal intestinal bacteria. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) may be responsible for additional SSI-related morbidity. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to describe the epidemiology of SSIs caused by MRSA after colorectal surgery in two tertiary-care centers, one in Geneva, Switzerland (G), and the other in Chicago, Illinois (C). ⋯ Methicillin-resistant S. aureus seems to be an infrequent cause of SSI after colorectal resections, even in MRSA carriers. Systematic universal screening for MRSA carriage prior to colorectal surgery may not be beneficial for the individual patient. Post-operative factors seem to be important in MRSA infections, as the majority of MRSA SSIs occurred in patients negative for MRSA carriage.
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Surgical infections · Dec 2012
Locally derived versus guideline-based approach to treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia in the trauma intensive care unit.
Appropriate initial antibiotic therapy for presumed pneumonia in critically ill patients decreases the mortality rate. To achieve this goal, treatment guidelines developed by groups such as the American Thoracic Society (ATS) have been stressed. However, often overlooked is the importance of incorporating local microbiologic data into an empiric algorithm. Our hypothesis was that an empiric algorithm supported by our locally-driven analysis would predict more accurate coverage than one defined strictly by an unmodified guideline-driven approach. ⋯ The empiric algorithm derived from analysis of local microbiologic data predicted significantly better coverage than one defined by an unmodified guideline-driven approach for early HAP/VAP. Our locally-derived TICU algorithm of ceftriaxone+vancomycin for early pneumonia and piperacillin-tazobactam+vancomycin for late pneumonia optimizes the adequacy of initial therapy. Understanding local patterns of pneumonia ensures the creation and maintenance of empiric algorithms that achieve the best clinical outcomes.