Hospital infections are not always caused by microorganisms acquired from other patients or medical staff. In many cases, the bacteria are brought to the hospital on the skin of the patients themselves. To investigate the origins of the microorganisms responsible for surgical site infections — a problem that occurs after around 3% of surgical procedures in the USA — anesthesiologist Dustin Long and his colleagues at the University of Washington, Seattle, collected samples of bacteria from the nostrils, backs, and rectums of 204 people who underwent spine surgery. The samples were taken just before skin asepsis procedures and the use of prophylactic antibiotics. Of the 204 patients, 14 developed surgical site infections. Most of the time (86%), the isolated bacteria were highly genetically similar to those found in the individual’s microbiome before the surgery. In 59% of cases, the bacteria were resistant to the antibiotics used prophylactically during the operation. There was no evidence of any infection caused by microorganisms from the hospital environment. The researchers say that if confirmed by other studies, these results could lead to improved preventive measures, such as ensuring the most appropriate antibiotics are chosen for each patient (Science Translational Medicine, April 10).
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