Anaesthesia and emerging infectious diseases

Abstract

New infectious diseases and microorganisms continue to be described. They may be blood- or arthropod-borne, or spread by the respiratory, sexual or faecal-oral route; in some cases, modes of transmission remain unknown or new ones have been described. Complex factors have contributed to the re-emergence of older pathogens in both developing and developed countries. Changes in medical and surgical practice have led to the frequent description of resistant gram-positive and negative bacteria, fungi and bacteria. Although many of the newly described agents may not be directly relevant to routine anaesthetic and intensive care practice, their impact on both patients and staff can be minimized by adherence to rational infection control guidelines, understanding of local disease and anti-microbial resistance patterns, sensible patient evaluation and access to expert advice. Given recent history, it can be expected that new microorganisms and clinical syndromes will continue to appear.