Clinical update on the use of moxifloxacin in the treatment of community-acquired complicated intraabdominal infections.

Background: Community-acquired complicated intraabdominal infections (cIAIs) present problems for clinicians and have substantial impact on hospital resources. Because of the polymicrobial nature of these infections, successful management of cIAIs depends on timely and appropriate use of antisepsis and antiinfective strategies.

Methods: The literature pertinent to this article was reviewed.

Preventing surgical site infections.

Over the past 50 years, increased interest in the discipline of surgical infection has resulted in advances in post-surgical infection control. Early investigations focused on the importance of anaerobic microflora to postoperative infection and paved the way for significant improvements in prophylactic and therapeutic antibiotic treatment of surgical patients. Later research centered on the identification of risk factors to better predict postoperative infection rates.

Mechanical and antibacterial bowel preparation in colon and rectal surgery.

Colorectal surgery performed prior to 1970 was fraught with postoperative infectious complications which occurred in more than 30-50% of all operations. Diversion of the fecal stream appeared mandatory when operating on an urgent or emergent basis, thereby requiring the performance of multiple, staged operations instead of a single surgery encompassing resection and primary anastomosis as is performed commonly today. Multiple studies conducted in the early 1970s determined that anaerobic colonic microflora were causative agents in postoperative infections in colon and rectal surgery, and these studies initiated the development of effective oral preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in combination with preoperative mechanical bowel preparation.

Current Strategies for Prevention of Surgical Site Infections.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a common complication that follows all types of operative procedures. These infections are usually caused by the exogenous and endogenous microorganisms that enter the operative wound during the course of surgery. The general and procedure-specific risk factors for the development of SSI have been identified and are discussed in this article.