Open AccessSurgical site infections: epidemiology and microbiological aspects in trauma and orthopaedic surgery
Author(s) -
Cooper Rose A
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international wound journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1742-481X
pISSN - 1742-4801
DOI - 10.1111/iwj.12179
Subject(s) - medicine , intensive care medicine , surgical site infection , surgical wound , flora (microbiology) , surgical procedures , surgery , epidemiology , general surgery , pathology , genetics , bacteria , biology
Causative agents of wound infections and the routes by which they access surgical incision sites have been recognised for more than a century. Despite knowledge of the factors that influence the risks of surgical site infections ( SSIs ) and the means to prevent and/or control them, surgical patients still get infections. Traditional systems of classifying and diagnosing SSIs and the diversity of microbial flora reported in contemporary SSIs will be described. Strategies available to prevent and control SSIs will be critically reviewed and the need to develop alternative approaches will be discussed.