Causes and Nursing Suggestions of Surgical Wound Infection

Surgical wound infection is one of the common complications after surgery. It will not only increase the medical expenses and pain of patients but also may have adverse effects on the condition. Therefore, it is very important to prevent and control surgical wound infection. This article will discuss the causes and care of surgical wound infections.

Causes of Surgical Wound Infection :

There are many reasons for surgical wound infection, common are the following:

Bacterial Contamination: Patients are usually cleaned prior to surgery, but in some cases, bacterial contamination may be present before or during surgery. Surgical instruments and surgical incisions can also be a source of bacterial contamination.

Excessive wound tension: In some procedures, such as abdominal surgery, excessive wound tension may lead to wound infection. This is because when the wound is under tension, it increases the risk of wound exudate and infection.

Immunocompromised patients: The risk of wound infection increases when the patient is immunocompromised. For example, cancer patients often have lower immunity when undergoing surgery, so the incidence of wound infection increases.

Improperly placed surgical incisions: Certain surgical incision positions may increase the risk of infection. For example, placing surgical incisions on the chest or back may increase the risk of infection.

Nursing measures for surgical wound infection :

Routine care :

Patients will receive routine care until the surgical wound heals. Nurses need to check the wound frequently to ensure that there is no secretion, no redness, and no pain on the surface of the wound. At the same time, patients need to follow the doctor's advice, eat a healthy diet, and avoid bad habits such as smoking and drinking.

Wound cleaning and disinfection :

An important cause of surgical wound infection is the presence of bacteria on the wound surface. To prevent bacteria from contaminating the wound, nurses need to clean and disinfect the wound frequently. When cleaning the wound, the nurse needs to wash the wound with soap and water, and then disinfect the wound with an antiseptic solution.

Use an antimicrobial wound dressing:

Silver-containing wound dressings is a material commonly used in post-operative wound care. Silver is a natural antibiotic that effectively kills bacteria and fungi. Silver-containing wound dressings release silver ions, which kill bacteria on the wound surface and reduce the risk of infection. It is also anti-inflammatory and reduces pain and swelling around wounds. Silver Ion Dressing can release silver ions, thereby inhibiting the inflammatory response and reducing the risk of wound infection. It also has the characteristics of transparency and beauty, which can keep the wound clean and dry, and avoid pollution. At the same time, silver ions can increase the flexibility and elasticity of the dressing, making the dressing more suitable for the shape of the wound.

Control Tension :

In some procedures, excessive wound tension may lead to wound infection. Therefore, after surgery, nurses need to control the tension of the wound. If there is excessive tension in the wound, nurses can use Wound Skin Closure to relieve tension.

Oxygen and anti-inflammatory therapy

In some cases, surgical wound infection may increase the patient's risk of respiratory failure and sepsis. To prevent this from happening, nurses can give oxygen and anti-inflammatory treatments.

In conclusion, surgical wound infection is a serious complication, and it is very important to prevent and control infection. Nurses should routinely care for patients, clean and disinfect wounds, control wound tension, and administer oxygen and anti-inflammatory treatments to ensure patient safety.

For more information on Innomed® Silver Ion Dressing, refer to the previous articles. If you have customized needs, you are welcome to contact us; we will serve you wholeheartedly. At Longterm Medical, we transform this data by innovating and developing products that make life easier for those who need loving care.

Editor: kiki Jia

Date: May 18, 2023