title: Wound colonisation following cardiac surgery. Reduction by adjuvant use of preincisional, presternal antibiotic infiltration: a double blind prospective randomised study.
abstract: In a double blind, prospective, randomised study of 100 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery, a significant (p less than 0.01) reduction in wound colonisation, defined as positive culture of any wound discharge irrespective of wound appearance, occurred in those receiving preincisional presternal antibiotic infiltration (2%) as compared to a control group who received a similar volume of normal saline by the same route (24%). Both groups received, in addition, the same conventional intravenous regimen of broad spectrum antibiotic. A comparable concurrent group of patients, not entered into the study, demonstrated a wound colonisation rate similar to the trial control group (22%), thus excluding an adverse bias from the control saline infiltration. Analysis of control cases demonstrated a significant (p less than 0.001) discriminant effect in the degree of preoperative haemodilution with haematocrit falling on bypass by a mean of 25% in those who developed wound colonisation as compared to 13% in those who did not.
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002444:Cefuroxime / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011292:Premedication; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D013249:Sternum; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002444:Cefuroxime