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Complicated Intra-abdominal Infections: Principles of Antimicrobial Therapy

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Abdominal Sepsis

Abstract

Antimicrobial therapy plays a crucial role in the management of complicated intra-abdominal infections. A correct approach for treating intra-abdominal infections always involves a delicate balance between the optimization of empirical therapy, which has been shown to improve clinical outcomes, and the reduction of excessive antimicrobial use. In particular, the indiscriminate use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials has been proven to increase the rate of emergence of anti-microbial resistant strains. The choice of antimicrobial therapy depends on the severity and type of intra-abdominal infections (e.g., community-acquired or hospital-acquired) as well as on the local resistance profiles. Adequate antimicrobial therapy, step-down to oral treatment, and prompt source control remain the mainstay for the management of complicated intra-abdominal infections.

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Correspondence to Matteo Bassetti M.D., Ph.D. .

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Bassetti, M., Righi, E., Sartelli, M. (2018). Complicated Intra-abdominal Infections: Principles of Antimicrobial Therapy. In: Sartelli, M., Bassetti, M., Martin-Loeches, I. (eds) Abdominal Sepsis. Hot Topics in Acute Care Surgery and Trauma. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59704-1_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59704-1_16

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