title: Evaluation of preoperative hospitalization duration in skin flora.
abstract: The skin microbial flora of 18 patients was evaluated during prolonged preoperative hospital stay. Five cultures for bacteria and fungi were obtained on different days: on admission one, three and seven days after admission and after skin disinfection with povidone-iodine solution. There was no change in the mean bacterial count from the admission day to seven days after admission. All but one culture obtained following skin disinfection were negative. Pathogenic bacteria were isolated in only one of each of the following culture day: admission, three and seven days after admission. All cultures were negative for yeasts. The findings suggest that the higher rate of wound sepsis observed in patients with long preoperative hospitalization may not be due to bacterial flora change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Microbiology, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba (PR), Brazil.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiederkehr
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lerner
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Buffara
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Marchesini
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative