Abstract

PERALTA VARGAS, Carmen E. et al. Infección de sitio operatorio en apendicectomizados en el servicio de cirugía del Hospital III ESSALUD-Chimbote. Rev. gastroenterol. Perú [online]. 2004, vol.24, n.1, pp.43-49. ISSN 1022-5129.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical wound infection is a devastating complication from the biological and economic point of view; it can result in serious disability and death, besides the high costs for the patient, the family and the health institutions. PURPOSE: To assess if appendectomized patients in whom germs were isolated in the culture of the peritoneal exudate showed surgical wound infection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was performed on 104 patients who underwent surgery for Acute Appendicitis having been hospitalized through the Emergency Service of Hospital III-ESSALUD Chimbote between November 1, 2001 and April 30, 2002; with ages ranging from 1 to 90 years. A peritoneal exudate culture was made for each of them. RESULTS: 22.12% of the appendectomized patients developed surgical wound infection. Of them, 82.61% showed positive results for bacteria in the peritoneal exudate culture. 81 appendectomized patients did not develop surgical wound infection; 23.46% of them showed positive results for germs in the peritoneal exudates culture. CONCLUSION: It was not possible to establish a relationship between Surgical wound infection and peritoneal exudate culture. There was a close correlation with the development of surgical wound infection in appendectomized patients with longer periods of time for the disease and longer operation time.

Keywords : Appendicectomy; Surgical wound infection; Peritoneal exudate.