Duration of antibiotic treatment in surgical infections of the abdomen. Introduction--the different ways to reach consensus.
The many interrelated issues concerning administration of antibiotics following operations for abdominal contamination and infection were a powerful impetus to create this Discussion Forum in The European Journal of Surgery, which focuses on the duration of administration-a previously neglected topic. The guidelines presented herein are not based on previous randomised trials alone, nor are they prescribed by dictatorship of one person. Instead, they are proposed by a steering committee in the form of a table and are confirmed by consensus of many experts. The science of consensus has to be recognized in surgery. The Discussion Forum offers written judgements that provide more details than the usual Consensus Development Conference statements. It can be used for a nominal group process organized by sepsis trial groups and may be of value for a consensus-based treatment of individual patients.
Institute for Theoretical Surgery, Philipps-University of Marburg, Germany.
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Lorenz
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Troidl
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Fingerhut
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Rothmund
D000005:Abdomen; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003245:Consensus Statements as Topic; D006801:Humans; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents