Postoperative wound infections: a study of bacteriology and pathogenesis.
Of 200 patients, 6.5% were skin carriers of Staphylococcus aureus and 3.5% became skin carriers after admission. Development of skin carrier state was associated with a long preoperative hospital stay. A second study of 275 cases showed that skin carriers of S. aureus had a significantly higher subsequent staph wound infection rate than non-carriers, but nose and/or throat carriers of S. aureus did not. Peroperative wound contamination was a significant factor in the subsequent development of wound infection. In clean surgery the infection rate was 5.9%. Both wound contamination and infection was due to gram positive organisms, usually S. aureus. When the gastrointestinal or biliary tract had been opened, the infection rate was 28%, the usual contaminating and infecting organisms were enteric and only occasionally S. aureus. There is a need for improved methods of minimizing peroperative wound contamination.
D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology*