Surgical Infections and Antibiotic Use

Dealing with infections is an important part of any surgical practice for two key reasons: (1) a crucial first step in tackling any infection is controlling the source of sepsis, which often requires surgical intervention, and (2) infection is one of the most common complications of the act of surgery itself. Whether the infection arises de novo or at the site of a previous operation, it is important that the surgeon can quickly and accurately diagnose the infection, identify the organisms that are likely to be responsible, and develop an appropriately tailored multimodal treatment plan. In this chapter, we discuss the basic principles of diagnosis and treatment of infection and sepsis, as well as specific types, such as surgical site, necrotizing, and organ space infections, that commonly require surgical intervention. We briefly cover nosocomial infections that are now monitored as part of routine quality assessment and drug-resistant organisms that pose a challenge to modern surgical care.