Surgical infections
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Background: We examined clinical outcomes among combat casualties with genitourinary injuries after blast trauma. Methods: Characteristics, clinical care, urologic complications, and infections for subjects enrolled in the Trauma Infectious Disease Outcomes Study (TIDOS) were collected from Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) sources. Logistic regression identified predictors for urinary tract infections (UTIs) after genitourinary trauma. Results: Among 530 TIDOS enrollees who entered VA care, 89 (17%) sustained genitourinary trauma. The majority of subjects (93%) were injured via a blast and 27% had a dismounted complex blast injury (DCBI). ⋯ Subjects with UTIs had a higher proportion of bladder injury (53% vs. 13%; p < 0.001), posterior urethral injury (26% vs. 1%; p = 0.001), pelvic fracture (47% vs. 4%; p < 0.001), soft-tissue infection of the pelvis/hip (37% vs. 4%; p = 0.001), urinary catheterization (47% vs. 11%; p < 0.001), urinary retention or incontinence (42% vs. 6%; p < 0.001), and stricture (26% vs. 3%; p = 0.004) compared with patients with genitourinary trauma and no UTI. Independent UTI risk factors were occurrence of a soft-tissue infection at the pelvis/hip, trauma to the urinary tract, and transtibial amputation. Conclusions: Among combat casualties with genitourinary trauma, UTIs are a common complication, particularly with severe blast injury and urologic sequelae. Episodes of UTIs typically occur early after the initial injury while in DOD care, however, recurrent infections may continue into long-term VA care.
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Surgical infections · Dec 2019
Randomized Controlled TrialEffect of Triclosan-Coated Suture on Surgical Site Infection of Abdominal Fascial Closures.
Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a serious problem after abdominal surgery. This study aimed to compare closure of fascia with triclosan-coated monofilament polydioxanone (PDS) or standard PDS in decreasing the incidence of SSIs in patients who underwent abdominal surgery. Methods: In this randomized study, a total of 890 consecutive patients undergoing laparotomy for any gastrointestinal pathology were allocated to closure of the fascia with triclosan-coated PDS (treatment group; TG) or standard PDS (control group; CG). ⋯ Conclusions: Closure of the fascia with triclosan-coated PDS decreased SSI rates as much as 24%. Also, SSIs were decreased significantly at clean, clean-contaminated, and contaminated sites. Therefore, triclosan-coated PDS might be recommended for fascial closure as a means of decreasing SSIs.
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Surgical infections · Dec 2019
Albumin/Procalcitonin Ratio Is a Sensitive Early Marker of Nosocomial Blood Stream Infection in Patients with Intra-Cerebral Hemorrhage.
Background: This study was performed to investigate the combination of admission serum procalcitonin (PCT) and albumin (alb) concentrations as a diagnostic predictor for discriminating patients with nosocomial blood stream infection (BSI) among those with spontaneous intra-cerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on patients with ICH and hospital-acquired BSI. Clinical and microbiological data were compared in patients who experienced nosocomial BSI during a hospital stay and those who did not. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors for nosocomial BSI. ⋯ In the subgroup of 85 patients with nosocomial BSI, the albumin:PCT ratio in patients with shock was lower than that in those without shock (7.154 [2.975-26.267] vs 28.000 [3.818-57.812]; p = 0.027). Conclusion: The albumin:PCT ratio can be used as an early diagnostic predictor for nosocomial BSI in patients with ICH. Additionally, BSI patients with lower albumin:PCT ratios are more likely to experience shock. The albumin:PCT ratio is expected to be a rapid and low-cost tool for clinical practice.
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Surgical infections · Dec 2019
Role of Empiric Anti-Fungal Therapy in the Treatment of Perforated Peptic Ulcer Disease: Review of the Evidence and Future Directions.
Background: Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) affects four million people worldwide. Perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) occurs in less than 15% of cases but is associated with significant morbidity and mortality rates. Administration of antibiotics is standard treatment for gastrointestinal perforations, including PPU. ⋯ Conclusion: The current evidence reviewed here does not demonstrate efficacy of anti-fungal agents in improving outcomes in patients with PPU. As such, we caution against the routine use of empiric anti-fungal agents in these patients. Further studies should help identify specific subpopulations of patients who might derive benefit from anti-fungal therapy and help define appropriate treatment regimens and durations that minimize the risk of resistance, adverse events, and cost.
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Surgical infections · Oct 2019
Artificial Intelligence Methods for Surgical Site Infection: Impacts on Detection, Monitoring, and Decision Making.
Background: There has been tremendous growth in the amount of new surgical site infection (SSI) data generated. Key challenges exist in understanding the data for robust clinical decision-support. Limitations of traditional methodologies to handle these data led to the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI). ⋯ Discussions on opportunities, challenges, and limitations of applying these methods to derive accurate SSI prediction are provided. Results: Four main challenges in dealing with SSI data were defined: (1) complexities in using SSI data, (2) disease knowledge, (3) decision support, and (4) heterogeneity. The implications of some of the recent advances in AI methods to optimize clinical effectiveness were discussed. Conclusions: Artificial intelligence has the potential to provide insight in detecting and decision-support of SSI. As we turn SSI data into intelligence about the disease, we increase the possibility of improving surgical practice with the promise of a future optimized for the highest quality patient care.