In a paper recently published in the World Journal of Emergency Surgery, seven surgical societies around the world shared an important declaration.
The authors – expert physicians representing the societies involved in this alliance – highlighted the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and the importance to prevent and manage infections appropriately across the surgical pathway.
The Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery (GAIS), the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES), the Surgical Infection Society (SIS), the Surgical Infection Society-Europe (SIS-E), the World Surgical Infection Society (WSIS), the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST), and the Panamerican Trauma Society (PTS) participated in the realization of this document.
The goal was to raise awareness among surgeons about AMR by focusing on the importance of actively participating in this challenge.
Surgeons really play a pivotal role in prevention and management of infections in their daily practice. Indeed, they are primarily responsible for preventing hospital-acquired infections, particularly surgical site infections. Moreover, they are prescribers of antibiotics, both for prophylaxis and therapy.
Nevertheless, among them adequate infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, and appropriate antibiotic prescribing practices are often disregarded. Why?
In healthcare facilities around the world, cultural, contextual, and behavioural determinants can influence surgeons’ clinical practice. Furthermore, other factors – such as the fear of clinical failure, time pressure, or organizational contexts – can limit their adherence to IPC procedures and antibiotic prescribing practices.
According to the authors, surgeons in hospital settings should be aware of their role and responsibility, and follow the fundamental principles for correct infection prevention and management across the surgical pathway.
[Adapted from Figure 1 in Ref. 1].
Changing clinical behaviour is extremely challenging.
A collaborative and multidisciplinary approach is paramount to optimize individual patients’ outcomes and overall healthcare delivery. Each healthcare provider of the team has to participate, and be responsible for its own contribution to patient care.
The authors concluded calling all surgeons around the world to take part in this global cause, by pledging support for this declaration, and accepting responsibility for maintaining the effectiveness of current and future antibiotics.
Reference
Francesco M. Labricciosa, MD, Specialist in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine
Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery 