Current thoughts on Staphylococcus epidermidis in vascular surgery.

Staphylococcus epidermidis (CNS) is a major cause of infection in peripheral vascular surgery. It occurs as commonly in vascular prostheses as in orthopaedic, cardiac and neurosurgical implants. Greater awareness of the possible presence of CNS in initially indolent infections, particularly in the groin, is necessary. More rapid isolation and identification techniques to separate the contaminant from the pathogenic CNS are needed. It seems that better preoperative antiseptic care of vascular patients may reduce the tendency for even 24 h cephalosporin prophylaxis to encourage the emergence of resistant CNS strains.