Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in neurosurgical infections. Per-operative culture with flexible contact agar film.
Fourteen of 80 patients (17.5 per cent) who underwent elective craniotomy preceded by a strict pre-operative routine of skin decontamination contracted postoperative wound infection. Most of the infections were probably from endogenous sources and from eight of the wounds low-virulent resident skin bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes and/or Staphylococcus epidermidis, were isolated. Since thorough pre-operative preparation of the skin did not reduce the incidence of infection to an acceptable level, antibiotic prophylaxis might be indicated in this type of surgery.
D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006406:Hematoma / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011425:Propionibacterium acnes / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
D013256:Steroids