What Is a Surgical Wound Infection?
A surgical wound infection is the growth of bacteria, in the place where a person has had a recent surgical incision. This can be a dangerous infection because it may cause a related infection of the blood, sepsis, since the wound is open. Infections are surprisingly prevalent, with about half a million people in the US alone developing a wound infection after surgery. There are some practices that help to minimize surgical wound infection, and these have to do with making sure that surgeries are performed in a sterile way. All people in an operating room rigorously scrub and wear protective clothing. The area that will be incised is cleaned and treated with antibacterial products. These precautions help prevent the introduction of bacteria during the surgery.
