BookMassimo Sartelli, Raul Coimbra, Leonardo Pagani, Kemal Rasa, editors.
Summary: Although most clinicians are aware of the problem of antimicrobial resistance, most also underestimate its significance in their own hospital. The incorrect and inappropriate use of antibiotics and other antimicrobials, as well as poor prevention and poor control of infections, are contributing to the development of such resistance. Appropriate use of antibiotics and compliance with infection prevention and control measures should be integral aspects of good clinical practice and standards of care. However, these activities are often inadequate among clinicians, and there is a considerable gap between the best evidence and actual clinical practice. In hospitals, cultural determinants influence clinical practice, and improving behaviour in terms of infection prevention and antibiotics-prescribing practice remains a challenge. Despite evidence supporting the effectiveness of best practices, many clinicians fail to implement them, and evidence-based processes and practices that are known to optimize both the prevention and the treatment of infections tend to be underused. Addressing precisely this problem, this volume offers an essential toolkit for all surgeons and intensivists interested in improving their clinical practices.
Contents:
The burden of surgical site infections: Pathophysiology and risk factors--Pre-operative measures to prevent surgical site infections
Antibiotic prophylaxis: When, how and how long
Intraoperative measures to prevent surgical site infections
Infection in Surgery: How to manage the surgical wound
Guidelines for the prevention of surgical site infections: How to implement them
The infected mesh: How to treat it
Hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia
How to prevent and treat catheter-associated urinary tract Infections
How to prevent and treat catheter-related bloodstream infections
Clostridium difficile infection in surgical patients
Source control in intra-abdominal infections
Ongoing peritonitis (tertiary peritonitis)
The challenge of post-operative peritonitis due to anastomotic leak
Management of necrotizing fasciitis
Infections in elderly patients
How to use antibiotics in critically ill patients with sepsis and septic shock
Acute gastrointestinal injury
Infections in trauma patients
The value of microbiological cultures: When to perform them and how to read them
Invasive candidiasis in surgical patients
The role of antimicrobial stewardship programs to optimize antibiotics use in the surgical departments
What healthcare workers should know about the "one health approach" and the global impact of antimicrobial resistance.