What is it about?
Intra-abdominal infections, such as perforated appendicitis, diverticulitis or peritonitis after bowel perforation, are common surgical emergencies and an important cause of death in hospitals worldwide. Five international societies of emergency surgery and surgical infections - WSES, GAIS, SIS-E, WSIS and AAST - joined forces to describe practical, globally applicable clinical pathways. The document, prepared by an international multidisciplinary task force, covers the key steps of care: early recognition of infection and sepsis, timely and adequate source control (draining or removing the infected focus, surgically or percutaneously), appropriate antibiotic therapy including its duration and the management of resistant bacteria, and prompt support in intensive care when needed.
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Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Outcomes of abdominal infections depend heavily on how quickly and coherently teams act. These shared pathways offer surgeons, infectious diseases specialists and intensivists a common framework adaptable to different resource settings, supporting better survival while promoting responsible antibiotic use and short, targeted treatment courses.
Perspectives
In abdominal infections the best antibiotic cannot compensate for poor source control, and the best surgery can be undone by inappropriate antibiotics. Working with surgeons from around the world on these pathways, led by Massimo Sartelli, reinforced my conviction that these patients need truly integrated teams.
Professor Stefano Di Bella
Universita degli Studi di Trieste
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: WSES/GAIS/SIS-E/WSIS/AAST global clinical pathways for patients with intra-abdominal infections, World Journal of Emergency Surgery, September 2021, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1186/s13017-021-00387-8.
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