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Published on: July 9, 2012

In defense of routine antimicrobial susceptibility testing of operative site flora in patients with peritonitis

S E Wilson1, J Huh

  • 1Department of Surgery, University of California, Irvine, USA.

Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
|October 6, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Surgical site bacterial cultures identify resistant organisms, improving treatment and reducing postoperative infections. Performing aerobic and anaerobic susceptibility tests for intraabdominal infections is crucial for effective patient care.

Area of Science:

  • Surgical site infections
  • Antimicrobial resistance
  • Intraabdominal infections

Background:

  • Postoperative wound infections are linked to the type and quantity of bacteria at the surgical site.
  • High rates of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria from intraabdominal infections increase the incidence of surgical site and intraabdominal infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To emphasize the importance of identifying bacterial resistance patterns in intraabdominal infections.
  • To guide the selection of appropriate antimicrobial therapy for postoperative complications.
  • To reduce the incidence of postoperative wound and intraabdominal infections.

Main Methods:

  • Performing cultures for both aerobic and anaerobic organisms from intraabdominal infections.
  • Conducting susceptibility tests to determine antimicrobial resistance patterns.
  • Analyzing geographic variations in anaerobic susceptibility data.

Main Results:

  • Knowledge of operative site culture data aids in identifying resistant organisms.
  • Early changes in antimicrobial therapy based on culture results improve treatment outcomes.
  • Surveillance of resistance patterns facilitates accurate initial antimicrobial therapy.

Conclusions:

  • It is advisable for surgeons to perform cultures and susceptibility tests for aerobic and anaerobic organisms in intraabdominal infections.
  • Accurate antimicrobial therapy, guided by susceptibility data, is essential for successful treatment and medicolegal protection.
  • Understanding local resistance patterns is key to effective management of intraabdominal infections.

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