Abstract
Three hundred forty-one consecutive cases of colonic surgery performed by the Proctology service of our hospital have been reviewed. There was a total of 7 wound infections, constituting an incidence of 2.1%. The infection rate in clean contaminated cases was 0.8% and in contaminated cases, 4.7%. The mortality rate was 2.3%. Parenteral antibiotics were used in less than 50% of the operations. Our impression is that attention to one modality of wound infection prevention with disregard for the others will produce little. However, close attention to all the modalities by which we can hope to reduce wound infection appears to produce strikingly beneficial results.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Andersen B., Korner B., Ostergaard A. H. Topical ampicillin against wound infection after colorectal surgery. Ann Surg. 1972 Aug;176(2):129–132. doi: 10.1097/00000658-197208000-00001. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Burton R. C. Postoperative wound infection in colonic and rectal surgery. Br J Surg. 1973 May;60(5):363–365. doi: 10.1002/bjs.1800600512. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hart D., Postlethwait R. W., Brown I. W., Jr, Smith W. W., Johnson P. A. Postoperative wound infections: a further report on ultraviolet irradiation with comments on the recent (1964) national research council cooperative study report. Ann Surg. 1968 May;167(5):728–743. doi: 10.1097/00000658-196805000-00011. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Herter F. P., Slanetz C. A., Jr Influence of antibiotic preparation of the bowel on complications after colon resection. Am J Surg. 1967 Feb;113(2):165–172. doi: 10.1016/0002-9610(67)90217-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jepsen O. B. Contamination of the wound during operation and postoperative wound infection. Ann Surg. 1973 Feb;177(2):178–180. doi: 10.1097/00000658-197302000-00009. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Polacek M. A., Sanfelippo P. Oral antibiotic bowel preparation and complications in colon surgery. Arch Surg. 1968 Sep;97(3):412–417. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1968.01340030072005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Thomsen V. F., Larsen S. O., Jepsen O. B. Post-operative wound sepsis in general surgery. IV. Sources and routes of infection. Acta Chir Scand. 1970;136(4):251–260. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Williams J. A., Oates G. D., Brown P. P., Burden D. W., McCall J., Hutchison A. G., Lees L. J. Abdominal wound infections and plastic wound guards. Br J Surg. 1972 Feb;59(2):142–146. doi: 10.1002/bjs.1800590218. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]