181 patients undergoing resection of the oesophagus for carcinoma were randomised to receive selective decontamination (test group) or conventional perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (controls). 114 patients were finally included in the study: 12 of 56 test patients had 18 infections, whereas 32 of 58 controls acquired 51 infections. Colonisation with aerobic gram-negative microorganisms, and...

Surgical wound infection remains a significant problem following an operation, although surveillance for such infections remains a challenge exacerbated by early discharge and outpatient surgery. The risk of such infections is determined by technical problems with the operation, particularly bleeding, the amount of devitalized tissue created, and the need for drains within the wound, as well as...

The frequency of sternal wound infection (SWI) after cardiac surgery ranges from 0.5% to 8% and is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and treatment cost. Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis is not sufficient to fully prevent the contamination of the surgical access site. One of the most effective methods for the prevention of wound infection seems to be the use of gentamicin-imp...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the need for antibiotic prophylaxis when performing full-face laser resurfacing. METHOD Prospective study of 31 patients undergoing full-face laser resurfacing, 17 with and 14 without antibiotic prophylaxis. OBSERVATION Four of 14 patients without antibiotic prophylaxis had microbiologic and clinical evidence of infection. None of the 17 patients with antibiotic prophy...

INTRODUCTION Modern perioperative care principles in elective colorectal surgery have already been established by international surgical authorities. Nevertheless, barriers to the introduction of routine evidence-based clinical care and changing dogmas still exist. One of the factors is the surgeon. AIM To assess perioperative care trends in elective colorectal surgery among general surgery c...

Surgical site infections (SSIs) continue to occur, in many instances despite high compliance with best practice measures primarily revolving around pre- and intraoperative periods. Postoperative factors have traditionally been considered to play a relatively minor role in the causation of SSIs. An increasing body of evidence, however, suggests that many SSIs occur as a result of pathogens gaini...