title: Contamination of the surgical field in head and neck oncologic surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to determine the timing and type of surgical field contamination in 50 consecutive resections for advanced head and neck cancer with same-stage tissue reconstruction and to analyze the relationship between contamination and the surgical site infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Swabs from the surgical field and from surgical drapes close to the field were taken every 2 hours (at 0 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, and 6 hours) and sent for a standard microbiological diagnostic procedure. Results were recorded in Microsoft Excel and analyzed with SPSS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We collected 336 swabs of which 71% were contaminated. Polymicrobial contamination was observed in 153 samples (45%). Twenty-six species of pathogens were found, the most frequent was Streptococcus species. Surgical site infection with positive culture occurred in 3 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In head and neck surgery for advanced cancer, standard aseptic procedures do not prevent contamination of the surgical field with physiological bacterial flora of the skin and oral cavity. Although contamination was common, surgical site infection was rare.
authors.affiliation: Student Research Group, Head and Neck Cancer Department, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Cancer Center, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Maciej J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mazurek
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rysz
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jaworowski
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nowakowski
authors.forename: Romuald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krajewski
authors.forename: Stanisław
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Starościak
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pietras
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Polowniak-Pracka
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Włodarczyk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D058636:Surgical Drapes / Q000382:microbiology*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: free flaps; head and neck cancer; surgical field contamination; surgical site infection; swabs