title: [Safety of a multiperforated catheter implanted in the surgical wound for the continuous infusion of local anaesthetics in post-operative analgesia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the incidence of infection at the surgical site in patients who have a multiperforated catheter implant for continuous infusion of a local anaesthetic as a local analgesic.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational, descriptive and prospective study, of one month duration. It included 50 patients subjected to selective laparotomy in whom a multiperforated pre-peritoneal catheter was implanted for analgesia purposes (Painfusor®. Baxter). Patients with a surgical incision of less than 15 cm and/or ASA>III, were excluded from the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The catheter was removed from all patients at 48 hours. An infection at the surgical site was present in 6% of the patients who had the catheter implanted, which was similar to the incidence in clean-contaminated surgery (5.5%; 95% CI: 3.4-8.7%). Colonisation of the catheter was observed in two patients, causing only one infection of the surgical site.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of an in-situ pre-peritoneal catheter for post-surgical anaesthesia does not increase the risk of surgical site infection.
authors: Servicio de Cirugía General, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
authors: Félix
authors: F
authors: Lluis
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Romero Simó
authors: Juan Francisco
authors: JF
authors: Márquez Peiró
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Selva Otaolaurruchi
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Zarco
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local