Skip to main content
International Orthopaedics logoLink to International Orthopaedics
. 2004 Aug 14;28(5):311–314. doi: 10.1007/s00264-004-0561-2

Suction drain tip culture in orthopaedic surgery: a prospective study of 214 clean operations

B Sankar 1,2,, P Ray 3, J Rai 1
PMCID: PMC3456986  PMID: 15316674

Abstract

We conducted a prospective cohort study in order to determine whether suction drain specimen cultures from orthopaedic surgery predicted an early wound infection. We included 218 consecutive clean orthopaedic operations requiring drains in one unit over a period of 1 year. The suction drain tip, drain fluid and wound discharge specimens were cultured, and the surgical wound was followed up for 3 months. There were six deep and two superficial wound infections. Wound infection was significantly related to positive suction tip culture but not to positive drain fluid culture. Following our methodology for culture, a positive drain tip culture predicts wound infection in 50% and a negative culture virtually excludes the possibility of a deep infection.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (77.8 KB).

References

  • 1.Adalberth Acta Orthop Scand. 1998;69:475. doi: 10.3109/17453679808997781. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Barren EJ, Peterson LR, Finegold SM (1994) Micro-organisms encountered in the blood. Bailey and Scott’s diagnostic microbiology, 9th edn. Mosby, St Louis, pp 193–209
  • 3.Bernard Clin Infect Dis. 2002;34:46. doi: 10.1086/338045. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Berthelot Clin Infect Dis. 2002;34:1538. doi: 10.1086/340528. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Cintron F (1994) Initial processing, inoculation and incubation of aerobic bacteriology specimens. In: Isenberg HD (ed) Clinical microbiology procedures handbook, 4th edn. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC, pp 1–5
  • 6.Crevoisier Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 1998;117:121. doi: 10.1007/s004020050210. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Drinkwater J Arthroplasty. 1995;10:185. doi: 10.1016/s0883-5403(05)80125-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Esler J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2003;85:215. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.85B2.13357. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Girvent Acta Orthop Belg. 1994;60:290. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Lidwell J Hosp Infect. 1983;4:19. doi: 10.1016/0195-6701(83)90061-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.LidwellActa Orthop Scand 19875843107337 [Google Scholar]
  • 12.Lindgren Acta Orthop Scand. 1976;47:320. doi: 10.3109/17453677608991999. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Maki N Engl J Med. 1977;296:1305. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197706092962301. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 14.Overgaard Acta Orthop Scand. 1993;64:417. doi: 10.3109/17453679308993657. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Sorensen Acta Orthop Scand. 1991;62:451. doi: 10.3109/17453679108996642. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 16.Waugh J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1961;43:939. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 17.Willemen Clin Orthop. 1991;264:232. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 18.Willet J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1988;70:607. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.70B4.3403607. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 19.Zamora-Navas Acta Orthop Belg. 1999;65:44. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from International Orthopaedics are provided here courtesy of Springer-Verlag

RESOURCES