Previous chemotherapy as a predictor of wound infections in nonmajor head and neck surgery: Results of a prospective study.
BACKGROUND
The goal of this prospective study was to determine the incidence of wound infections (WI) after clean uncontaminated head and neck cancer procedures and after emergency tracheotomies.


METHODS
Two hundred twelve clean procedures without tracheotomy or opening of mucosa (neck dissections, large skin resections, thyroidectomies, parotid gland resections, and explorative cervicotomies) were studied at Oscar Lambret Cancer Center over a 24-month period.


RESULTS
WI rate was 6.6% (14 of 212). In a univariate analysis, only one variable was significantly related to the likelihood of WI: previous anticancer chemotherapy. All but one patient who had had previous chemotherapy demonstrated WI (14 of 15).


CONCLUSIONS
After previous chemotherapy, WI rate in clean uncontaminated head and neck surgery was as high as 90%. In this case, antibiotic prophylaxis should be evaluated.
Penel
Nicolas
N
Hygiene unit, Centre Oscar Lambret, Lille, France. n-penel@o-lambret.fr
Fournier
Charles
C
Lefebvre
Danièle
D
Roussel-Delvallez
Micheline
M
Sarini
Jérome
J
Kara
Ahmed
A
Mallet
Yann
Y
Lefebvre
Jean-Louis
JL
D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D041121:Klebsiella oxytoca / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck / Q000601:surgery; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000009:adverse effects; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents