Surgical-wound infection

Article Abstract:

Surgeons and microbiologists have often worked together to identify the causes and cures of surgical wound infections; the establishment of the Surgical Infection Society in 1981 is but one sign of the close collaboration between the two fields. Two articles in the January 10, 1991 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine concern outbreaks of infection that affected patients who had undergone cardiac surgery. In a painstaking fashion, information was assembled and analyzed to determine the sources of the infections. The responsible pathogens, Legionella dumoffii and Rhodococcus bronchialis, had not been previously identified as causes of surgical wound infection associated with cardiac surgery. To trace the path of these organisms to the surgical field required real detective work: in one case, the pathogen was traced to the skin of two dogs that belonged to an operating room nurse. In the other case, contamination of the wound site during routine bathing of the patients was at fault, a route that proved false the prevailing belief that once the wound is closed, it is safe. These investigations were, in a sense, aided by the rarity of the infective agents: the more common bacteria (such as Staphylococcus aureus), which infect about 1 out of every 24 people who undergo inpatient surgery, are much harder to trace. Research concerning perioperative infections should use techniques of molecular epidemiology to precisely identify infectious strains and their subtypes. Furthermore, more remains to be learned about the ways surgical wounds become infected. These endeavors could be aided by the development of an appropriate animal model of ''clean wound'' infection. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Research, Causes of, Surgical wound infections, Disease transmission, Nosocomial infections, Cross infection, editorial

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Neurodevelopment and cognition in children after enterovirus 71 infection

Article Abstract:

A study assessed the long-term neurologic sequelae, neuro-development, and cognitive function of children who had enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection with central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Results indicated that EV71 infection with CNS involvement and cardiopulmonary failure might be associated with neurologic sequelae, delayed neurodevelopment, and reduced cognitive functioning.

Taiwan, Psychological aspects, Diagnosis, Risk factors, Physiological aspects, Central nervous system, Enterovirus diseases, Enterovirus infections

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Three Indonesian clusters of H5N1 virus infection in 2005

Article Abstract:

Three clusters of Indonesian cases with at least two ill persons hospitalized with laboratory evidence of H5N1 virus infection from June through October 2005 were investigated by collecting and analyzing epidemiologic, clinical, and virologic data. The outbreak was caused by clade 2 H5N1 viruses including mild, severe, and fatal cases among family members of Indonesia.

Indonesia, Health aspects, Development and progression, Virus diseases

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