[Surgical-site infections following varicose vein surgery according to a continuous series of 408 interventions in a teaching hospital].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence of surgical-site infections (SSI) following varicose vein surgery in the vascular surgery ward of a French teaching hospital.


METHODS
A prospective surveillance of SSI was conducted during one year, with a 30-day postoperative follow-up. SSI cases were identified by using the definitions of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC, USA). Data acquisition and analysis were performed with the Epi-Info 6.04 software (CDC).


RESULTS
Three quarters of the 408 included interventions were characterized by a NNIS score equal to 0. All patients underwent a hair removing practice before intervention. Hair removing methods were very heterogeneous and often not in accordance with national recommendations (e.g. mechanic shaving for 44.6% of patients). The incidence of SSI was 1.2% (95% confidence interval=[0.2-2.2]). All infections were identified after hospital discharge. Four infected patients out of five presented obesity or excess weight, and two patients had diabetes mellitus. The mean age of infected patients was significantly higher than non-infected ones (70.4 years versus 52.0; p<0.01). All SSI had consequences like rehospitalization, reintervention, or antimicrobial therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
According to our results, SSI following varicose vein surgery are scarce and mainly concerned high-risk patients. However, in an aim of prevention, it seems necessary to homogenize hair removing methods in this ward.
Eveillard
M
M
Laboratoire de bactériologie-hygiène, CHU d'Angers, 4, rue Larrey, 49100 Angers, France.
Delbos
V
V
Cambuzat
D
D
Enon
B
B
Picquet
J
J
Joly-Guillou
M-L
ML
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006204:Hair Removal / Q000379:methods; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000601:surgery*