ANTIBIOTIC PROPHYLAXIS TO PREVENT SURGICAL SITE INFECTIONS: A REVIEW

In the majority of SSI cases, the pathogen source is the native flora of the patient’s skin, mucous membranes, or hollow viscera.  When skin is incised, underlying tissue is exposed to overlying endogenous flora.⁹ Most typically, aerobic gram-positive cocci such as Staphylococcus serve as the contaminant, with resistant pathogens such as methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA). Entry into hollow viscera exposes surrounding tissue to gram-negative bacilli such as Escherichia coli, gram-positive organisms such as enterococcus, and, occasionally, anaerobes such as Bacillus fragilis. Yeast species and viral pathogens also pose a risk.

Other sources of SSI pathogens are from distance focus such as in patients with prosthesis or implant place during the surgery, surgical personnel, operating environment, surgical tools, instruments, and materials brought to the field during an operation.