[Risk factors of surgical wound infection]

The risk of developing a surgical wound infection depends on the balance between factors determining the number of bacteria contaminating the wound and factors determining the resistance of the wound against infection. Some of these factors are responsive to interventive strategies, aiming at lowering the frequency of surgical wound infection. It has been shown, that the use of prophylactic antibiotics and ultraclean-air operation room techniques are beneficial in certain types of surgery, while the use of blood transfusion increases the risk of wound infection. Evidence suggests that the use of laparoscopic techniques in abdominal surgery will decrease the risk of infection. Research in immunological factors and hypoxia have not yet contributed any clinically applicable types of prophylactic strategies.