[Anaerobic infections in surgery]

In the past few years the incidence of anaerobes in the aetiology of surgical infections has definitely increased due to a distinct increase in anaerobic flora and to the noticeable improvement in isolation and culture techniques which have drastically decreased the incidence of so-called "sterile pus". The development of the toxi-infective shock due to Gram negative anaerobes, presents the most serious clinical problems, being the shock with the highest mortality rate. A paradigmatic example of shock due to surgical infections is the shock complicating peritonitis. A correct postoperative behaviour includes peritoneal lavage through drainages placed during surgery. The AA. personal experience with 50 hospitalized patients treated surgically and with cefoxitin, a new cephamycin semisynthetic antibiotic resistant to beta-lactamases, is reported.