What Is the Role of the Gut in Wound Infections?

Abstract

Emerging evidence suggest a major role for the gut microbiome in wound infections. A Trojan Horse mechanism of surgical site infections has been hypothesized to occur when pathogens in the gut, gums, and periodontal areas enter an immune cell and silently travel to the wound site where they release their infectious payload. Genetic tracking of microbes at the strain level is now possible with genetic sequencing techniques and can clarify the origin of microbes that cause wound infections. An emerging field of dietary prehabilitation to modulate the microbiome before surgery is being described to improve infection-related outcomes from surgery.