title: Quantitative bacteriology of closed-suction wound drainage in contaminated surgery.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Panorama City, Calif 91402-5497.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Welch
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000382:microbiology*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D013396:Suction; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control