The value of intraoperative wound cultures in predicting the bacteriology of wound infection after elective abdominal surgery

A study of some factors associated with wound infection

Five hundred and four surgical patients were studied at Princess Basma Hospital, North Jordan, during the period April 1984-January 1985. The overall postoperative wound infection rate was 3.6%. In clean surgery 1.1% of wounds were infected and in potentially contaminated and contaminated surgery the infection rate was 3.3% and 18.5% respectively. Major organisms isolated from infected wounds were Staphylococcus aureus (55.5%), Escherichia coli (16.6%), Proteus vulgaris (11.1%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes and Aeromonas hydrophilia, each with 5.6%. Use of a wound drain, duration of operation and carriage of Staph. aureus by the patient were associated with a higher frequency of wound infection.