Which of the following characteristics in a patient might increase the risk of a wound infection?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A characteristic in a patient that might increase the risk of a wound infection is receipt of chemotherapy. Decreasing the bacterial inoculum and virulence by limiting the patient's prehospital stay, clipping the operative site in the operating room, administering perioperative antibiotics (within a 24-h period surrounding operation) with an appropriate antimicrobial spectrum, treating remote infections, avoiding breaks in technique, using closed drainage systems (if needed at all) that exit the skin away from the surgical incision, and minimizing the duration of the operation have all been shown to decrease postoperative infection.

Which of the Following Characteristics in a Patient Might Increase