Risk factors for wound infection after cholecystectomy

ABSTRACT

Biliary surgery in general, with cholecystectomy in particular, is a common major elective abdominal operation world wide. Wound sepsis after biliary surgery is an extraburden to patients, surgeon and nation. This prospective study completed on 160 patients [105 females and 55 males] undergoing biliary surgery at Kasr El-Aini Hospital. Their ages ranged from 30 to 70 years with an average of 44 years. The overall incidence of postoperative wound infection was 15%. Three major risk factors were detected for wound infection Age patients above 60, other operative procedures added to cholecystectomy and contaminated bile. Bactibillia was an important endogenous source of postoperative wound infection which was detected in all cases of acute cholecystitis and in 7.5% of cases with calcular obstructive jaundice and in 60% of patients with stones in the common bile duct and have no jaundice. In 21 out of 24 of infected cases, the organisms isolated from wounds were the same as from the corresponding bile samples. Prophylactic antibiotic is recommended in patients with risk factors detected in this study, while routine antibiotic prophylaxis in simple cholecystectomy is probably unjustified