title: Microbial epidemiology patterns of surgical infection pathogens.
abstract: Resistance, as assessed in vitro, has a number of serious consequences in clinical situations. Treatment failures are common when an inappropriate drug has been prescribed and this, in turn, may lead to hospitalization of patients who normally would have been treated on an outpatient basis, as well as to longer hospital stay for inpatients and to the use of alternative drugs, which may be more expensive and more toxic. These factors all contribute to increased health care costs, morbidity and mortality. Microbiological procedures may identify the causative pathogen and provide the appropriate susceptibility pattern to the physician, thus reducing the chances of therapeutic failures. However, for a number of reasons including cost--even in hospitals--not to mention general practice, infections are seldom diagnosed on an etiological basis. From what has been stated, the knowledge of bacterial epidemiology and resistance represents basic support for correct therapeutic decision-making.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Debbia
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Schito
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gualco
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tonoli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dolcino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchese
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents