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Wound Infections

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Book cover Complications in Cutaneous Surgery

Abstract

Wound infections are uncommon in dermatologic surgery with an overall reported incidence of 2%.1 By definition, surgical wound infections occur within 30 days of the time of the procedure and may involve the skin, subcutaneous fat, or the muscle above the fascia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has categorized skin and subcuticular surgical site infections as superficial, while those involving the muscle are categorized as deep surgical site infections.2 Most wound infections are thought to begin at the time of surgery whenever aseptic technique is broken, or bacteria are introduced into the wound due to inadequate preoperative cleansing or the use of contaminated instruments and suture material. However, infections may also be caused by patient-specific factors such as preoperative skin or nasal bacterial colonization and poor wound hygiene postoperatively.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University of Texas, Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA

    Gregory John Fulchiero Jr. MD, MS BioEng (Fellow in Dermatologic Surgery)

  2. Department of Dermatology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA

    Elizabeth M. Billingsley MD (Associate Professor)

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  1. Gregory John Fulchiero Jr. MD, MS BioEng
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  2. Elizabeth M. Billingsley MD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

    Hugh M. Gloster Jr. MD (Associate Professor and Director of Dermatologic Surgery) (Associate Professor and Director of Dermatologic Surgery)

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Fulchiero, G.J., Billingsley, E.M. (2008). Wound Infections. In: Gloster, H.M. (eds) Complications in Cutaneous Surgery. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-73152-0_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-73152-0_5

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