What is the source of the bacteraemia?
Organisms associated with SSIs vary with type of procedure and anatomic location of the operation. • Coagulase negative staphylococcus (CNS), enterococcus species and E coli are 3 most frequently isolated pathogens. • An increasing number of SSIs are caused by antimicrobial resistant pathogens and incidence of fungal SSIs has risen in part because of increasing numbers of patients with HIV/AIDS. For most SSIs the source of the pathogen comes from the patient’s skin, mucous membranes or bowel and rarely from another infected site in the body i.e. endogenous sources. Exogenous sources of SSI pathogens are occasionally responsible e.g. • Organisms from members of surgical team • Contaminated surfaces in the operating room • Contaminated instruments, surgical gloves or other items used in surgery. • Exogenous organisms are primarily aerobic staphylococci or streptococci species.
