[Responsibility of surgeons for surgical site infections].
Surgical site infections can be traced to discrepancies in one specific hospital department: the operating suite. Therefore, prevention is often viewed as resting completely on the surgeon. However, the source of micro-organisms responsible for surgical site infections can be endogenous or exogenous. Most infections are believed to be the former, i.e. caused by micro-organisms already resident in the patient's body. Therefore the surgeon can be regarded as suspect only in exceptional cases and usually himself a victim. Prevention is possible not only for exogenous surgical site infection but also many endogenous infections. A multicenter surveillance of infection rates at 130 operative departments participating for at least 4 years in the German National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System was conducted. A significant 25% reduction in the 3rd year was observed compared with patients who underwent surgery within the 1st year of participation. However, surgeons alone cannot achieve such a decrease, and a team approach is required under most circumstances.
Gastmeier
P
P
Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Krankenhaushygiene, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover. Gastmeier.Petra@mh-hannover.de
Brandt
C
C
Sohr
D
D
Rüden
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013997:Time Factors