Early post operative wound infection in clean surgery at Khartoum
el Raba'a, S.M.; Ibrahim, A.
East African Medical Journal 64(3): 183-189
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0012-835X PMID: 3665797 Document Number: 302368
The rate of wound infection was studied prospectively in 85 clean surgical operations at 2 hospitals in Khartoum. The overall infection rate was high at 16% and 28.5% and the commonest organism isolated was Staphylococcus aureus at both hospitals (75% and 50%) indicating an exogenous source. Patients and theatre staff throat swab cultures showed that neither of them were the source of infection. The duration of the operation and the calibre of the surgeon were the most significant factors governing infection rates. It can be concluded that contamination from the environment of the theatre during protracted operations performed by inexperienced surgeons is the most important correctable factor to be considered.