Wound infection: a review of diagnosis and treatment.

Surgical wounds can become infected by a variety of organisms, leading to a variety of clinical courses. In this article, several types of infections, therapies, prognoses and prophylaxes are discussed. Skin and subcutaneous tissues infect with a range of gram-positive and gram-negative aerobic and anerobic bacteria. Gangrenous infections, whether necrotizing fasciitis or bacterial synergistic gangrene, can be devastating or fatal. Gangrenous infection in the muscle is also discussed, and various treatments outlined. The intention is to familiarize readers with the predisposing conditions, clinical manifestations and therapeutic alternatives for these surgical infections.