Non-pharmacologic Prevention of Surgical Wound Infection

摘要

Wound infections are serious and relatively common postoperative complications. They are generally detected 5 to 9 days after surgery and are usually attributed, even by surgeons, to poor surgical technique or failure to maintain sterility. However, it has been known for decades that all wounds become contaminated, often by bacteria from the skin or within the patient, and that it is host defense mechanisms that prevent most contamination from developing into clinical infections Host defense is especially important during the initial hours following contamination, the immediate postoperative period.As might thus be expected, factors that improve host defense reduce infection risk Many of these are under the direct control of anesthesiologists and are at least as important as the appropriate use of prophylactic antibiotics, which halve infection risk [1], This article reviews non-pharmacologic methods of reducing infection risk, and emphasizes methods available to anesthesiologists.