title: Postoperative infections in the small hospital. A prospective one-year study.
abstract: The results of a prospective study of postoperative infections, especially wound infections, at the small district hospital in Bollnäs during 1979 are presented. The material consists of 1409 patients undergoing different types of surgery in an operation unit of old design. All patients were followed for at least one month postoperatively. The overall wound infection rate was 4.7%. In clean surgery 2.3% of the wounds were infected and in potentially contaminated surgery wound infections were encountered in 7.0% of the patients. Other infections mostly urinary tract infection and pneumonia, were observed in 123 patients. For the large majority of affected patients, the only sequela of the postoperative infection was a prolonged stay in hospital and a short-term antibiotic treatment. We conclude that postoperative infectious complications seem to be of minor importance for the overall outcome for surgical patients in the small hospital.
mesh_terms: D001442:Bacteroides Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003428:Cross Infection; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*