Superbugs mean more infections and deaths after surgery, chemotherapy

The declining effectiveness of antibiotics may make tens of thousands more U.S. patients vulnerable to potentially fatal infections after surgery or chemotherapy, researchers estimate. Up to half of pathogens causing surgical site infections and more than a quarter of bugs leading to infections after chemotherapy are already resistant to antibiotics commonly used in the U.S., the researchers calculate based on an analysis of previously published studies. As antibiotic resistance worsens, those percentages may climb, threatening the safety and effectiveness of many surgical procedures and medications commonly deployed to battle cancer, the study team concludes.