title: Wound cultures as predictors of complications in reconstructive flap procedures.
abstract: Cultures were acquired from 125 cases of flap reconstruction. Specimens were collected from the wound beds at the time of wound closure. Fifty-one cases (41%) had negative cultures and 74 (59%) had positive cultures. The positive culture patients had a higher complication rate than the negative culture patients (49% vs. 7.8%, p <.004). Patients with positive cultures coincidentally receiving effective antibiotics relative to their wound cultures had a complication rate statistically comparable to negative culture patients. These findings suggest that wound bed cultures could be incorporated into operative sequence strategies, wound management outcome assessments, and surveillance analyses that could provide guidelines for perioperative antibiotics administration.
authors: JMS Burn and Reconstructive Center, Crossgates River Oaks Hospital, Brandon, MS, USA. william.lineaweaver@jmsburncenters.com
authors: William C
authors: WC
authors: Lineaweaver
authors: Shushan
authors: S
authors: Jacob
authors: Hede
authors: H
authors: Yan
authors: Feng
authors: F
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*