[Surgical site infections-Prevention and treatment strategies].

Surgical site infections (SSI) are the most frequent nosocomial infection in Germany. They are defined as an infection of the surgical site that occurs within 30 days after a surgical procedure. The diagnostic criteria include localized pain or tenderness, localized swelling, erythema, excess warmth, purulent drainage from the incision and cultural detection of pathogens in an aseptically obtained specimen from the incision. Wound infections are differentiated into superficial incisional (grade 1), deep incisional (grade 2) and infections of organs and body cavities in the region of the operation (grade 3). Risk factors for SSI include anemia, immunosuppression, diabetes mellitus, obesity, smoking and malnutrition. The crucial preoperative preventive measures are antisepsis of the surgical area and antibiotic prophylaxis. Intraoperative subcutaneous wound irrigation with an antiseptic solution reduces SSI in visceral surgery. The primary treatment encompasses the liberal debridement of the wound.