Although most clinicians are aware of the problem of antimicrobial resistance, most also underestimate its significance in their own hospital. The incorrect and inappropriate use of antibiotics and other antimicrobials, as well as poor prevention and poor control of infections, are contributing to the development of such resistance.

Appropriate use of antibiotics and compliance with infection prevention and control measures should be integral aspects of good clinical practice and standards of care. However, these activities are often inadequate among clinicians, and there is a considerable gap between the best evidence and actual clinical practice.

In hospitals, cultural determinants influence clinical practice, and improving behaviour in terms of infection prevention and antibiotics-prescribing practice remains a challenge. Despite evidence supporting the effectiveness of best practices, many clinicians fail to implement them, and evidence-based processes and practices that are known to optimize both the prevention and the treatment of infections tend to be underused. Addressing precisely this problem, this volume offers an essential toolkit for all surgeons and intensivists interested in improving their clinical practices.

1        Impact of hospital-acquired infections in Surgery

2 The burden of surgical site infections. Pathophysiology and risk factors. Pre-operative measures to prevent surgical site infections
3 Antibiotic prophylaxis. When, how and how long
4 Intra-operative measures to prevent surgical site infections
5 How to manage the surgical wound
6 How to classify and treat surgical site infections
7 Guidelines for the prevention of surgical site infections. How to implement them
8 The infected mesh. How to treat it
9 How to prevent and treat hospital/ventilator-acquired pneumonia
10 How to prevent and treat hospital/ventilator-acquired pneumonia
11 How to prevent and treat catheter-associated urinary Tract Infections
12 How to prevent and treat Catheter-related bloodstream infections
13 Clostridium difficile infection in surgical patients
14 Source control in intra-abdominal infections
15 Ongoing (tertiary peritonitis) peritonitis
16 Damage Control Surgery in patients with acute peritonitis. When and how
17 The challenge of post-operative peritonitis by anastomotic leak
18 Antibiotics in intra-abdominal infections. When, how and which ones
19 Necrotizing soft tissue infections
20 Infections in elderly patients
21 How to use antibiotics in critically ill patients with sepsis and septic shock
22 Infections in trauma patients
23 The value of microbiological cultures. When to perform them and how to read them
24 Invasive candidiasis in surgical patients
25 The role of antimicrobial stewardship programs to optimize antibiotics use in the surgical departments
26 The impact of antimicrobial resistance. How can healthcare workers can contribute in the context of "one health approach"