[Staphylococcus epidermidis causing infections in trauma surgery].

During 27 months at the Tübingen Accident Hospital, Staphylococcus epidermidis could be found in 464 of 1824 bacteriological wound swabs. This normally had to be considered as contamination. However, in at least 69 cases, S. epidermidis alone undoubtedly caused or maintained a fresh or chronic infection of the bone and soft tissue following aseptic orthopedic surgery, whereby the infection was temporarily sustained by S. epidermidis during pathogen change. The findings are demonstrated and compared with the literature.