Often infections after surgery by drug-resistant bacteria

Resistant bacterial strains can lead to deadly infections

After surgery, serious health problems can occur if infections occur at the site of the wound. The time of recovery takes much longer and sometimes such an infection can even lead to the death of the patient. Researchers found that more and more infections after surgery are due to drug-resistant bacteria.

Researchers from the Universities of Birmingham, Edinburgh and Warwick found in their joint study that drug-resistant bacterial strains lead to more and more infections after surgical procedures. The experts published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Lancet Infectious Diseases".

Surgery can lead to deadly infections, which can not be treated by antibiotics, because the existing bacteria are already resistant to drugs. (Image: AntonioDiaz / fotolia.com)

In low-income countries, there are more resistant bacteria

The physicians found in their study that patients in lower-income countries are more likely to develop infection after surgery than patients in more affluent countries. This seems to be due to so-called drug-resistant bacteria, which are more common in lower-income countries. In lower-income countries, there is often an increased use of antibiotics, which leads to more people being infected with resistant bacteria, the researchers say.

Infections at surgical wounds can be fatal

The results illustrate a link between the use of antibiotics and emerging infections and highlight the need to combat surgical infections in low-income countries. Infection at the site of a surgical wound is a dangerous complication that can prolong and result in fatal recovery times for patients. So far, however, the extent of this problem in low-income countries was still unknown, the authors explain.

For the study, data from more than 12,000 patients were analyzed

To address this problem, researchers looked at hospital records from 66 low, middle and high income countries. These files contained data from more than 12,000 patients undergoing digestive system surgery.

Results showed a 60 percent increased risk

The results of the study show that patients in low-income countries in the weeks following surgery have a 60 percent increased likelihood of infection compared to people from high- and middle-income countries. When patients developed a wound infection, they had an increased risk of dying, even if the infection was not always the cause of death. Infected patients also had to stay in the hospital three times longer, the doctors say.

Excessive use of antibiotics leads to major problems

Drug-resistant bacteria do not respond to antibiotics, so infections are very difficult to treat. Its spread is due to overuse of antibiotics and represents an urgent global challenge for healthcare, experts say. "Countries with a low human development index have a disproportionately high burden of surgical infection compared to countries with a medium or high human development index," said Professor Dion Morton of the University of Birmingham in a press release.

Further research is needed

Further to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) on infection prevention measures at surgical sites, further studies are needed to evaluate measures to reduce this preventable complication. "Our study shows that low-income countries are overburdened by infections associated with surgery," explains Dr. Ewen Harrison from the University of Edinburgh. The expert adds: "We have also identified a possible association between these infections and antibiotic resistance. This is an important health problem worldwide and the link should be further explored. "(As)