Abstract
Postoperative wound infections are a fact of life for patients and surgeons alike, as well as a major source of morbidity for the unlucky patient and frustration for the surgeon. Though certain risk factors may be clearly appreciated prospectively, it is not often that they can be altered. Local and systemic factors are inescapable realities of some urgent situations, which may create considerable risk for catastrophe, such as obesity, diabetes, malnutrition, immune suppression, radiotherapy, prior surgeries, etc. The risk of wound infection also correlates with the scale of the procedure undertaken. Successful treatment begins with timely recognition of a possible infection. Treatment should be decisive and aggressive, and includes surgical exploration and debridement. Adjunctive measures may include plastic flap closure to provide a sealed environment with healthy vascular tissue. The incremental risk of non-union must also be appreciated, with a low threshold for intervention in the face of failed bone graft healing.
The abstracts were prepared by Professor Bruce McPhee. Correspondence should be addressed to him at Orthopaedics Division, The University of Queensland, Clinical Sciences Building, Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital, Herston, Qld, Australia
