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Quantitative bacteriology of closed‐suction wound drainage in contaminated surgery
Author(s) -
Becker Gary D.,
Welch William D.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-199004000-00014
Subject(s) - bacteriology , suction , medicine , surgery , wound healing , wound infection , drainage , bacteria , biology , ecology , mechanical engineering , genetics , engineering
This study was designed to evaluate the predictive value of quantitative bacteriology of closed‐suction postoperative wound drainage in identifying the patient likely to develop wound infection as well as its subsequent flora. Forty‐one patients undergoing major cancer surgery of the head and neck were studied. Postoperatively, closed‐suction wound drainage was cultured, and anaerobic and aerobic bacterial isolates were quantitated. The wound infection rate was 20% (8/41). No trend toward increased rate of wound infection with increased numbers of bacteria colonizing the wound was observed. Additionally, there was no consistent correlation between species of bacteria isolated from closed‐suction wound drainage and recovery from subsequent wound infection. Quantitative bacteriology of closed‐suction wound drainage after contaminated head and neck cancer surgery does not accurately predict which patients were likely to become infected, or the probable bacteriology of subsequent wound infection.