Treating post-renal transplant surgical site infection with combination therapy: a case study

Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common and debilitating
complications of surgery. The risk of SSI rises if the patient has underlying
health-related risk factors. This article reports on the complicated case of
61-year-old female with a history of obesity and diabetes. She was diagnosed
with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and had been receiving haemodialysis since
2012. She underwent a kidney transplant and developed a multidrug-resistant
Pseudomonas aeruginosa SSI following surgery. She experienced delayed wound
healing with a partially dehisced incision. Despite conventional wound care, there
was no progress in wound healing. The authors combined sharp debridement,
irrigation and antibiotic therapy with a silver-containing antimicrobial dressing for
1 month. Her SSI improved significantly and she returned to theatre for wound
closure. The patient recovered well and was discharged from the hospital after
suture removal. Wound-care professionals can use combination therapies to
manage SSIs effectively and reduce patient and healthcare costs.