Endogenous microbes dominate post-surgical infections

Results of an investigation into the skin microbiome led by UW physician Dustin Long and mim_c Sequencing Core Director Steve Salipante were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine Wednesday, April 10th (commentary). The interdisciplinary team, including expertise from the UW Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, and the Division of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, determined that the majority of surgical site infections, and their distinct drug-resistance profiles, originate from endogenous microbes instead of common source infection within the clinic. Their findings suggest preventative care for this type of infection could be tailored for an individual’s preoperative microbiome characteristics to improve post-operative treatment success.