Infection and the impact on cost effectiveness in wound care

The financial impact of infections in treating persons with traumatic injuries at a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, are described. Principals of the management of infected wounds are reviewed. Factors that influence the choice of reconstructive options are given. The cost of using various dressings, particularly occlusive dressings, in the management of infected wounds is explored. This real problem in the wound care discipline commands due respect, and the literature is testimony to this. Central to the management of this potential complication in surgery is the oft-cited question of which prophylactic antibiotic to administer. The issue is so important in fields such as cardiothoracic surgery, hip joint replacement, and intracranial surgery, that the thought of not administering prophylactic antibiotics is not entertained.