title: [Prevention of postoperative surgical site infections : Between tradition and evidence].
abstract: Postoperative wound infections represent a relevant complication of invasive interventions. Current European prevalence data show that for participating hospitals from Germany (n = 132) surgical site infections represent the most commonly occurring nosocomial infection with 24.3 %. This corresponds to a point prevalence of 1.31 %. It is assumed that approximately 25-33 % of all infections acquired in hospital could be prevented if all possible precautions would be taken. Recent studies have indicated that this rate might be even higher for individual infection entities. Infection control measures can be divided into general measures, which are valid for prevention in many fields and for many infection entities and into specific precautions related to hospital-specific circumstances or specific infection entities. In this article the various hygiene measures and recommendations are presented with respect to the level of evidence.
authors.affiliation: Zentralabteilung Krankenhaushygiene und Infektiologie, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Georg-August-Universität, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Göttingen, Deutschland. simone.scheithauer@med.uni-goettingen.de.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scheithauer
authors.affiliation: Zentralabteilung Krankenhaushygiene und Infektiologie, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Georg-August-Universität, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Göttingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Artelt
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Anästhesiologie, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Deutschland.|Zentralabteilung OP-Management, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Anästhesiologie, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Waeschle
mesh_terms: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D017053:Infection Control; D012307:Risk Factors; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local
keywords: Evidence-based medicine; Infection control; Nosocomial infections; Patient care bundles; Postoperative complications