Abstract
Five hundred and six clean minor surgical procedures were carried out in an emergency theatre. One theatre was used for both clean and septic conditions; clean cases preceding the septic lesions. Sepsis rates were assessed prospectively and complete follow-up was obtained in 491 patients. Four hundred and fifty (91.6%) patients achieved primary healing. Thirty (6.1%) patients developed a mild serous discharge; three developed wound haematomas and eight (1.6%) patients had severely infected wounds with a purulent discharge. From the acceptably low incidence of severely infected wounds with a purulent discharge. From the acceptably low incidence of severely infected wounds we conclude that there is no need for separate clean and septic theatres in an emergency department provided the clean operations are comparatively short and simple procedures.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- CHARNLEY J. A STERILE-AIR OPERATING THEATRE ENCLOSURE. Br J Surg. 1964 Mar;51:195–202. doi: 10.1002/bjs.1800510308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cruse P. J., Foord R. A five-year prospective study of 23,649 surgical wounds. Arch Surg. 1973 Aug;107(2):206–210. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1973.01350200078018. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Davis N. C., Cohen J., Rao A. The incidence of surgical wound infection: a prospective study of 20,822 operations. Aust N Z J Surg. 1973 Jul;43(1):75–80. doi: 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1973.tb05679.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- LJUNGQVIST U. WOUND SEPSIS AFTER CLEAN OPERATIONS. Lancet. 1964 May 16;1(7342):1095–1097. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(64)91291-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Leissner K. H. Postoperative wound infection in 32,000 clean operations. Acta Chir Scand. 1976;142(6):433–439. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Magee C., Rodeheaver G. T., Golden G. T., Fox J., Edgerton M. T., Edlich R. F. Potentiation of wound infection by surgical drains. Am J Surg. 1976 May;131(5):547–549. doi: 10.1016/0002-9610(76)90007-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Polk H. C., Jr Prevention of surgical wound infection. Ann Intern Med. 1978 Nov;89(5 Pt 2 Suppl):770–773. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-89-5-770. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Purssey B. S. The use of an aerosol antibiotic in minor surgery. Med J Aust. 1970 May 16;1(20):989–992. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1970.tb116677.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- ROBERTSON H. R. Wound infection. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 1958 Sep;23(3):141–154. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]