New Studies Suggest Ways to Prevent Post-Surgical Infections

Experts say that an estimated 300,000 patients in the United States annually develop infections following surgery because of bacteria that they carry on their own body. Bacteria are often present in the nose or on the skin of patients which can enter surgical incisions and compromise their recovery. If a patient does develop an infection, it can require costly treatment or, in extreme cases, even lead to death. New studies which have recently been published in The New England Journal of Medicine, suggest easy ways hospitals can avert such infections by killing the bacteria which is on patients. Such methods include simple screening, sterilizing, scrubbing, or giving preventative treatment with antibiotics and/or anti-infective medication. The studies looked closely at infections which occur on a patient at the site of surgery, most commonly around the incision area. In prior years, the emphasis has been on doctors and nurses hand-washing to prevent infection; however, now researchers are looking closely at the bacteria on the patients. Many people which entered a hospital have been found to carry the common, but potentially dangerous bacteria, called staphylococcus aureus. Approximately one-third of the population carries this kind of bacteria in their nose or on their skin's surface at any given time. While it may not otherwise cause an active problem, if they enter a hospital and their skin is opened, they suddenly become susceptible to a serious infection.

These new studies tested 500 patients for the presence of staphylococcus aureus prior to their surgical procedures using nasal swabs. If they proved positive, they were then treated for five days with an antibiotic ointment on their noses and had them shower with special soap that contains the antiseptic chlorhexidine. Post surgery, these patients were shown to be sixty-percent less likely to contract infections than patients who used placebos of ointment and common soap. Marcia Patrick, a nurse and member of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology board said, "This is going to be a huge help to the infection-control crowd." She added, "How can we not do this? It would truly be penny-wise and pound foolish. And it's the right thing to do for patients." Dr. Richard P. Wenzel, an infectious disease specialist at Virginia Commonwealth University, said he would highly recommend these preventative measures for any patient that's facing a serious operation such as heart surgery or a joint replacement procedure. He also advises it for patients that already have a compromised immune system. Furthermore, he feels that all hospitals should adopt the use of chlorhexidine-alcohol as opposed to the standard disinfectant, povidone-iodine. Patients cleansed with chlorhexidine-alcohol had forty-percent less general infections and as half the amount of infections from staphylococcus aureus.

Cost is a factor for many institutions, as chlorhexidine-alcohol is more expensive that povidone-iodine. There is also an expense for doing pre-surgical screening for bacteria on patients. However, the costs are far greater to an institution when they need to treat a patient who has contracted an infection. Some doctors and many patients are purchasing antibiotics and anti-infective drugs through an online pharmacy where such medication is manufactured for less in other countries and made available at reduced costs to consumers. This practice has been growing during current times of economic downturn and rising medical costs in many countries. Patients with a valid prescription are buying their antibiotics for less through a reputable online pharmacy, yet still getting the benefit from the same high-quality drugs. These medicines often come in the form of generic drugs or as brand-name pharmaceuticals. This online option is one that hospitals and other medical institutions may need to consider in going forward, to more economically prevent infections on their patients and to contain the cost of their treatment if one does occur.