Taking care of surgical wound infections
How many times have we had to see someone die of a surgery gone wrong but have we ever given it a thought that even after a successful surgery, surgical wound infection may make matters worse?
For those of you who don’t know, microorganisms are
everywhere and we can’t see with our naked eyes even if we were to look for
them with complete attention because these are microscopic beings and are
completely hidden in plain sight. The only way to see them is under a compound
microscope and that means we have no fighting chance against them if we were to
rely on our bare hands. However, with these same hands we can take steps
through which we can, not only protect ourselves but also our loved ones.
The prevalence of microorganisms in a surgery is a given and
that is why sterilization of a hospital and specially operating theaters is so
much focused. If surgeons and the staff lets go of sterilization protocols,
patients may die more quickly of the infection then of the trauma or reason of
operation. Infections are quick and lethal when it comes to tearing body
defenses especially defenses of someone who is already ill.
Surgical wound infection is a quite common complication of
the surgery and there can be many reasons behind it but one thing is sure, that
there would be a pathogen involved. Now that you know this you might be able to
adopt a more sane approach to caring for surgical wound infections.
Keep the wound clean and dry
First and foremost thing is cleanliness. You can do that by
regularly the wound, if advised by doctor, by Dettol
antiseptic liquid. As the solution is antibacterial and acts as a
disinfectant on skin, it will keep the suture site clear of any bacteria trying
to invade the opening.
Dampness provides extremely fertile ground for bacteria to colonize
so therefore you don’t need to keep it moist unless advised by surgeon. Make
sure that the wound stays dry and clean but you don’t need to keep rubbing it
because that would make matters worse.
Take care
of diet
While the body is in healing process, patient is weak and all
of the body’s strength is diverted towards one goal and that is to heal the
wound. In such situations patients usually let go of their diet and either eat
nothing or eat something that is unhealthy for them. Therefore, make sure that
you are only feeding your patient according to the surgeon’s instructions.
Practice
hand hygiene
Make sure that one who is taking care of the wound and the
patient themselves, if conscious, are practicing hand hygiene properly because
infection can turn into super infection by contaminated hands and even
re-infections can occur. This is why it’s very important to wash hands before
and after caring
for the wound.
On time medicines
Take medicines on time because there’s a half-life to
antibiotics that are prescribe for infection control and missing any dose will
result in a complete start over. Doctors usually treat such infections
aggressively by giving high dose antibiotics and that’s why schedule should be
followed religiously.
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