Wound infection after cholecystectomy. Correlation between bacteria in bile and wound infection after operation on the gallbladder for acute and chronic gallstone disease

• Published in: The European journal of surgery Vol. 158; no. 2; p. 109
• Main Authors: Grande, M, Torquati, A, Farinon, A M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.02.1992
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Aged; Bile - microbiology; Cholecystectomy - adverse effects; Cholecystitis - pathology; Cholecystitis - surgery; Cholelithiasis - surgery; Chronic Disease; Female; Histological Techniques; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Surgical Wound Infection - diagnosis; Surgical Wound Infection - epidemiology; Surgical Wound Infection - microbiology
• ISSN: 1102-4151

To see if there was a difference in the wound infection rates after operation for acute and chronic cholecystitis, and to see if the presence of bacteria in the bile had any influence on those rates. Prospective open study. University hospital. 213 Patients undergoing cholecystectomy for acute or chronic gallstone disease. Incidence of postoperative wound infection, and of bile cultures growing pathogenic organism. There was no difference in wound infection rates between patients operated on for acute and those operated on for chronic cholecystitis. The presence of bacteria in the bile did not seem to influence the wound infection rate in either group. Early cholecystectomy and appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis result in an acceptably low wound infection rate, and the growth of bacteria from bile is not predictive of the development of wound infection.