Community-acquired infections dominate intra-abdominal infections in Italy

A national study involving 4,530 patients from 23 hospitals revealed that 70.9% of intra-abdominal infections were community-acquired, with appendicitis cases showing an even higher rate of 98.2%. E. coli emerged as the primary pathogen in 45.6% of infections. The study also reported a 5.13% mortality rate and that 16.5% of patients required ICU admission. The findings underscore the urgent need for effective antimicrobial stewardship to address rising resistance and improve patient outcomes.