Prevention of Infection in Surgical Wounds

WOUND infection has become one of the most difficult surgical problems of the current decade.1 Widespread bacterial resistance and crossinfection of the hospital population have been observed repeatedly,2 , 3 and alleged by some to be penalties of indiscriminate use of antibiotics.4 , 5 Until eight months ago, it was believed at this hospital that these problems were limited to metropolitan areas and large hospitals, for only 7 infections had been encountered as complications in 1740 operations done in the preceding four years. Then, in 1955, there were 8 infections after 603 operations, 7 of which occurred within a single week. Critical review and . . .