title: Effects of prolonged stay in hospital on gastric flora.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find out if a long preoperative stay in hospital results in the introduction of micro-organisms into the gastric flora that are resistant to the usual perioperative chemoprophylaxis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Teaching hospital, Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  145 consecutive patients admitted for abdominal or pelvic operations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Aspiration of gastric fluid for measurement of pH and culture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Growth and type of pathogens in gastric aspirate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  125 patients spent a mean (range) of 13.6 days (7-69) in hospital preoperatively and 20 patients spent 3.1 (1-7) days. In the long-stay group 103 had a gastric pH of <4 and in 22 it was 4 or more; in 40 patients pathogens were grown from the gastric aspirate but resistant Pseudomonas cepacia was grown from only 2. In the short-stay group 16 patients had a pH of <4 and in 4 it was 4 or more; in 4 patients pathogens were grown from the aspirate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prolonged stay in hospital preoperatively does not seem to affect the gastric flora, so routine chemoprophylaxis should be sufficient in abdominal operations.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Surgery, University of Athens, Aretaeion Hospital, Greece.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Voros
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Datsis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demeridou
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Yiantzis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Danias
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Philippopoulou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005750:Gastric Juice / Q000382:microbiology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013270:Stomach / Q000382:microbiology*; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative