Surgical wound infections are dependent on patient characteristics
Published: Wednesday, Jul 24th 2024, 12:40
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Patient characteristics have a significant influence on the bacterial composition of wound infections, as a study by Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and the University of Bern has shown. These findings can significantly improve the prevention and treatment of surgical infections.
The most important factors for the microbial composition of wound infections are age, body mass index (BMI) and the duration of the operation, according to a joint press release from the Bern institutions. Older patients with a low BMI and longer operations are at a particularly high risk of infections with intestinal bacteria.
Accordingly, wound infections are not only caused by germs from the surgical field or the surrounding area, but also depend on individual factors.
The study was conducted in collaboration with Swissnoso, the National Center for Infection Prevention, according to a press release issued on Wednesday. The research team examined data from over 530,000 patients from Swissnoso's national infection surveillance program.
Tool to support specialist staff
As part of the study, the researchers have developed an online tool to help doctors predict the patient-specific bacterial composition. In this way, preventive measures can be adapted to the personal risk profile and thus reduce the frequency of infections after surgery, as the press release explains further. As a next step, the researchers want to test and confirm the tool with other data.
Surgical site infections (SSI) are among the most common complications following surgery. They are usually caused by bacteria from the patient's own flora that enter the wound.
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