title: Quantitative recovery of contaminating bacteria at operation and the relation to postoperative infection in intestinal surgery.
abstract: In a prospective study of postoperative septic complications, young patients suffering mainly from inflammatory bowel disease were subjects to elective surgery. The bacterial concentration in the operative field was determined by an irrigation technique. When at least one of two irrigation fluids yielded greater than or equal to 50 CFU/ml of E. coli or S. aureus the risk of postoperative infection was highly increased (p less than 0.0001, Fisher's exact test).
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000601:surgery; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000601:surgery; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*