Management of Common Postoperative Infections in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit

Staci T Aubry; Lena M Napolitano

doi:10.1016/j.idc.2022.07.005

Management of Common Postoperative Infections in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit

Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2022 Dec;36(4):839-859. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2022.07.005.

Authors

Staci T Aubry¹, Lena M Napolitano²

Affiliations

¹ Acute Care Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Health System, Room 1C421 University Hospital, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0033, USA.
² Acute Care Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Health System, Room 1C421 University Hospital, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0033, USA. Electronic address: lenan@umich.edu.

PMID: 36328639
DOI: 10.1016/j.idc.2022.07.005

Abstract

Postoperative infection and sepsis in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) are common problems, and can be the reason for SICU admission or can be acquired during the SICU stay. Both diagnosis and management of infection and sepsis in the SICU can be complex, related to the surgical procedures performed, patient comorbidities, and resistant pathogens. The need for "source control" of postoperative infections can pose specific challenges and significant complexity in patient management. Postoperative infections in the SICU are associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and resource utilization, and therefore a strong focus on infection preventive strategies is warranted.

Keywords: Bacteremia; Postoperative infections; Source control; Surgical ICU; Surgical infections.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Comorbidity
Critical Care / methods
Humans
Intensive Care Units*
Postoperative Complications / therapy
Sepsis* / etiology
Sepsis* / therapy