Open AccessWound Infection During the Yom Kippur War; Observations Concerning Antibiotic Prophylaxis and Therapy
Author(s) -
Richard S. Klein,
Stephen A. Berger,
P Yekutiel
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
annals of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.153
H-Index - 309
eISSN - 1528-1140
pISSN - 0003-4932
DOI - 10.1097/00000658-197507000-00003
Subject(s) - medicine , antibiotics , antibiotic therapy , antibiotic prophylaxis , intensive care medicine , wound infection , surgery , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Eighty-eight episodes of wound associated infection were identified among 624 consecutively admitted battlefield casualties. Ninety-one per cent of infections occurred during the administration of antibiotic therapy or prophylaxis and 65% were associated with the use of multiple antibacterial agents. Gram negative bacillary and mixed microbial infection predominated and were found to increase in relative incidence after the second day of hospitalization. Appropriate therapy, based on disc sensitivity testing, was administered in only 33% of infectious episodes. The practice of antibiotic wound prophylaxis may contribute to the incidence and nature of infection in battlefield wounds. Problems unique to the handling of battlefield wounded are discussed in comparing the present data with those of other war associated and civilian studies.