Heal, Clare F., van Driel, Mieke L., Lepper, Phoebe, and Banks, Jennifer L. (2014) Topical antibiotics for preventing surgical site infection in wounds healing by primary intention (Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews , 12. CD011426. pp. 1-14.

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Abstract

[Extract] Many surgical procedures are conducted each year. The majority of these procedures result in wounds that heal by primary intention, which means that the wound edges are approximated using sutures, staples, clips or glue. In wounds healing by secondary intention, the edges are not approximated and the wound heals by granulation, re-epithelialisation and contraction. Most wounds heal without complications but surgical site infections can occur after surgery in the site where the surgery took place. Most wound infections are caused by contamination during surgery with the patient’s own micro-organisms (Kulayalat 2007). They may be superficial and self-limiting, involving the skin only, or they may be deeper and life-threatening. Surgical site infection is classified by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as superficial incisional, deep incisional and organ/space infections (CDC 2014; Mangram 1999).

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