Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-2026

Identifier

DOI: 10.1016/j.sempedsurg.2026.151588

Abstract

Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common nosocomial infections that occur in pediatric patients in the United States, with colorectal procedures consistently demonstrating the highest rates of SSI. Strategies to reduce SSI in colorectal surgery include standardized perioperative colorectal care bundles, which commonly incorporate preoperative bowel preparation. Robust adult literature exists supporting the use of mechanical bowel preparation in combination with oral antibiotics to mitigate SSI; however, pediatric evidence remains less definitive. Current pediatric literature shows heterogeneity of bowel preparation use amongst surgeons, with existing literature consisting primarily of small retrospective studies. A well-designed pediatric randomized controlled trial comparing the four available bowel preparation strategies would provide much needed evidence to define best practice for preoperative colorectal surgery care amid current variations in clinical practice.

Journal Title

Seminars in pediatric surgery

Volume

40

First Page

151588

Last Page

151588

MeSH Keywords

Humans; Surgical Wound Infection; Preoperative Care; Cathartics; Child; Antibiotic Prophylaxis; Anti-Bacterial Agents

PubMed ID

41708348

Keywords

Colorectal surgery; Pediatric bowel preparation; Surgical site infections

Comments

Grants and funding

This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

 https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1055-8586(26)00010-7

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