title: Bacterial contamination of pancreatic necrosis. A prospective clinical study.
abstract: In a prospective clinical study including 114 patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis, but excluding patients with a pancreatic abscess, necrotic material obtained at surgery was tested bacteriologically. Intestinal microorganisms were cultured in 39.4% of the cases. The contamination rate was 23.8% in patients operated on during the first 7 days of the attack; it rose to 71.4% in the third week and decreased to 32.5% after the fourth week. Intra- and extrapancreatic necrosis was more widespread and pancreatitis-associated ascites was more frequent in patients with proven contamination. The number of objective signs was 4.5 (median) and postoperative mortality was 37.8% in bacteriologically positive subjects, whereas the number was 3.5 (median) and mortality was 8.7% in bacteriologically negative patients. Morphologic and clinical alterations were more severe, and the mortality rate was significantly elevated, in patients with a short history of disease and bacterial contamination of necrotic tissue. All 5 patients with pancreatic sepsis who were operated on in the first 7 days of the disease, as compared with 2 of 16 patients with sterile necrosis, died. Thus, it is demonstrated that bacterial contamination of pancreatic necrosis occurs early and frequently, causing a significant increase in morbidity and mortality, particularly when it develops in the initial stages of the attack.
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000382:microbiology; D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis / Q000382:microbiology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012086:Reoperation; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D013997:Time Factors