Dr. Rabih Darouiche

Avoiding Deadly Surgical Site Infections

Surgical site infections can be debilitating and even deadly for patients, especially when the infection is caused by an antibiotic resistant bacterial strain. Approximately 300,000 to 500,000 Americans suffer from surgical site infections each year, resulting in an annual cost to hospitals of approximately $7.4 billion.

These infections occur when microorganisms naturally found on the skin enter the incision site during a medical procedure, which is why properly prepping the patient¹s skin with a skin antiseptic prior to surgery is of utmost importance. Most hospitals use povidone-iodine for skin antisepsis. However, new data published in the January 7, 2010 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the use of ChloraPrep, or chlorhexidine-alcohol, can reduce the risk of infection by 41 percent compared to iodine.

Dr. Rabih Darouiche is a specialist in infections in people with spinal cord injuries as well as medical device-related infections. He has published more than 30 articles in medical journals.

Dr. Derrick DeSilva

2 / 9 / 2010