[Post-appendectomy surgical site infection: overall rate and type according to open/laparoscopic approach]. / Infección de sitio quirúrgico tras apendicectomía urgente: tasa global y tipo según la vía de abordaje (abierta/laparoscópica).

OBJECTIVE: To compare the incidence and profile of surgical site infection (SSI) after laparoscopic (LA) or open (OA) appendicectomy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Observational and analytical study was conducted on patients older than 14years-old with suspected acute appendicitis operated on within a 4-year period (2007-2010) at a third level hospital (n=868). They were divided in two groups according to the type of appendicectomy (LA, study group, 135; OA, control group, 733). The primary endpoint was a surgical site infection (SSI), and to determine the overall rate and types (incisional/organ-space). The risk of SSI was stratified by: i)National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (NNIS) index (low risk: 0E, 0 and 1; high risk: 2 and 3); ii)status on presentation (low risk: normal or phlegmonous; high risk: gangrenous or perforated). The statistical analysis was performed using the software SPSS. The main result and stratified analysis was determined with χ(2), and the risk parameters using OR and Mantel-Haenszel OR with 95%CI, accepting statistical significance with P<.05. RESULTS: Age, gender, ASA index and incidence of advanced cases were similar in both groups. The overall SSI rate was 13.4% (more than a half of them detected during follow-up after discharge). Type of SSI: OA, 13% (superficial 9%, deep 2%, organ-space 2%); AL, 14% (superficial 5%, deep 1%, organ-space 8%) (overall: not significant; distribution: P<.000). Stratified analysis showed that there is an association between incisional SSI/OA and organ-space SSI/LA, and is particularly stronger in those patients with high risk of postoperative SSI (high risk NNIS or gangrenous-perforated presentation). CONCLUSION: OA and LA are associated with a higher rate of incisional and organ-space SSI respectively. This is particularly evident in patients with high risk of SSI.

Infection with bacteroides thetaiotaomicron during posterior decompression and dynamic stabilization of the lumbar spine: a case report and review of the literature.

Patient and surgical risk factors have often been implicated for postoperative posterior spinal wound infection. A 56-year-old male with widely disseminated multiple myeloma presented with severe back pain and lower extremity weakness as a result of fracture and collapse of the L4 vertebral body. Posterior decompression involving bilateral pedicle resection and partial L4 corpectomy was performed. Stabilization was performed by Dynesys instrumentation of L3-5, screw supplementation with polymethylmethacrylate, and posterolateral fusion was performed. Postoperatively, the patient suffered from multiple infections, including Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, which were eventually resolved with antibiotic as well as incision and debridement treatment regimens. In cases with numerous perioperative risk factors for infections, the best therapeutic approach may be a preventative one. An understanding of the relevant risk factors may enable the physician to facilitate a perioperative condition best suited for optimal treatment. A case report of infection with Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron during lumbar decompression and dynamic stabilization as well as a review of the literature regarding infection risk factors are presented.

Optimal sutures for use in the abdomen: an evaluation based on the formation of adhesions and abscesses.

PURPOSE: This study explored the optimal suture materials for use in the peritoneal cavity based on the formation of adhesions and abscesses under clean and contaminated conditions. METHODS: The parietal peritoneum and muscle layer of rats were incised. The incision was followed by interrupted suturing in the clean group. A suspension of E. coli (1.0 × 10(6)) plus Bacteroides fragilis (1.0 × 10(5)) was sprayed onto the incision in the contaminated group, followed by interrupted suturing. Four types of sutures were used: nonabsorbable multifilament silk, absorbable multifilament Polyglactin 910 (Vicryl(®)), absorbable monofilament Polydioxanone (PDS(®)), and Poliglecaprone 25 (Monocryl(®)). The rats were killed at 2, 4 or 8 weeks after the surgery. RESULTS: The incidence of adhesions in the clean group was low with Polyglactin 910. The incidence of adhesions was 96 % or higher regardless of the suture type in the contaminated group. The incidence of severe adhesions was low with Polyglactin 910 and Poliglecaprone 25 and significantly higher with Polydioxanone in the contaminated group. The incidence of abscess formation around the silk was significantly higher than the other three types of sutures in the contaminated group. CONCLUSION: Polyglactin 910 was less likely to form adhesions than the other three types of sutures under both conditions, suggesting that Polyglactin 910 may be the optimal type of suture to use in the peritoneal cavity.

Anaerobic clavicular osteomyelitis following colonoscopy in a hemodialysis patient.

Patients on dialysis are immunocompromised and are therefore susceptible to both common and unusual infectious complications. These infections are often related to their dialysis access but even routine diagnostic tests unrelated to dialysis can also lead to rare adverse events. We present an unusual case of clavicular osteomyelitis from Bacteroides fragilis in a patient on maintenance hemodialysis following colonoscopy. The risk factors for this unusual site of infection, the incidence and guidelines for prophylactic antibiotic administration are discussed here.

A Schloffer tumor treated 27 years after appendectomy.

Most complications of appendectomy occur in the early postoperative period. A 51-year-old woman presented to our hospital with abdominal fullness and a painful mass in the right lower abdomen. The painful mass was related to a scar from an appendectomy performed 27 years previously; some earlier episodes of pain had occurred after the operation. A tender mass 7 cm in diameter was palpable, extending from the appendectomy scar toward the umbilical region. Findings of abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography were consistent with an abdominal wall abscess, which was excised. At operation, a thick-walled abscess was seen to extend from the appendectomy scar toward the umbilicus, and from within abdominal wall muscles to the preperitoneal fat; it did not communicate with any intra-abdominal organ. Bacteroides fragilis was isolated from the abscess contents. Pathologic examination revealed diffuse infiltration by inflammatory cells including neutrophils and plasma cells, with inflammation spreading into surrounding muscles. Our patient's findings indicate that the abdominal wall abscess (so-called Schloffer tumor) resulted from persistent inflammation following the appendectomy performed 27 years previously. Since treatment of Schloffer tumor is not difficult once the diagnosis is made, physicians and surgeons should be aware of Schloffer tumor as a possible late complication of appendectomy.

[Infectious spondylodiskitis and epidural abscess after spinal puncture for pilonidal sinus excision]. / Espondilodiscitis infecciosa y absceso epidural después de una punción subaracnoidea para escisión de sinus pilonidal.

Vertebral infections after spinal puncture are rare and often inadequately documented. Their incidence does not exceed that of spontaneous epidural abscesses and we should therefore be cautious about assuming a causal relation between puncture and an abscess. After analyzing 10 published cases we saw that only half of them reported on aseptic conditions and only 2 patients seem to have had a prior infection. In 3 cases, the abscesses appeared after technically simple punctures whereas half the reports did not even mention the type of puncture. This complication should be considered whenever a patient develops back pain and fever, even if there are no neurological deficits and even after a simple spinal puncture. Given that early diagnosis and treatment have proven effective in improving the survival rate and reducing the rate of neurological sequelae, magnetic resonance images should be ordered urgently so that early treatment can be established.

[The Vulnerable Heel of Achilles: Intratendinous Abscess Following a Cat Bite]. / Die vulnerable Ferse des Achilles ­ intratendinöser Abszess nach Katzenbiss.

An 83-year-old patient suffered a cat bite dorsally to the Achilles tendon. In the further course, he developed an isolated intratendinous abscess of the Achilles tendon, which was surgically revised twice and subsequently healed with antibiotic treatment. In Germany, about 40,000 bite injuries of different origins occur annually. Most of these injuries are cat or dog bites, while human bites are rare. Although the course is often complicated, there are no standard recommendations for treatment. An intratendinous abscess after animal bite injury has not been described in the literature as yet.

Obturator abscess after transobturator tape for stress urinary incontinence.

BACKGROUND: A transobturator tape is a nonwoven, thermally bonded polypropylene tape recently approved in Europe for minimally invasive treatment of stress urinary incontinence. CASE: Three cases of obturator abscess after transobturator tape procedures are reported. Patients presented with groin pain and vaginal discharge, and physical examination showed vaginal erosions. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the obturator abscess. All patients had complete sling removal and were treated with antibiotics. The organism responsible for the obturator abscess was Bacteroides fragilis in all three cases, suggesting that the infection occurred through a vaginal erosion. CONCLUSION: Persistent painful or irritating symptoms after suburethral tape procedures may be due to a vaginal erosion that can be associated with an obturator abscess. Appropriate evaluation and treatment result in marked symptomatic improvement, although stress incontinence may recur.

Anaerobic myocardial abscess following myocardial infarction.

An anaerobic myocardial abscess due to Bacteroides fragilis developed in a 60-year-old man when he had an acute myocardial infarction while recuperating from surgery for a paracolonic abscess. Anaerobic bacteremia is a common event and may lead to infection in areas of low oxygen tension far removed from the original portal of entry.

Symposium on infectious complications of neoplastic disease (Part I). Introduction and epidemiology.

An approach to infections in cancer patients is outlined that divides such infections into those due to underlying disease, those related to underlying disease plus therapy, and those related to therapy alone. The incidence of such infections in each of the categories is discussed, together with a general outline of patterns and trends in regard to involved microorganisms. Several specific areas discussed include: problems of superinfection with newer antimicrobial agents; the current inadequacy of diagnostic techniques; the potential for early treatment with monoclonal antibodies; the potential for augmenting one or more host defenses prior to sundering other defenses during antitumor chemotherapy; the potential value of a variety of nutrients that either may be depleted or might be of benefit in enhancing host defense mechanisms.

Central nervous system infection with Eikenella corrodens: report of two cases.

Two cases of central nervous system infections from which E. corrodens has been isolated are reported. The portals of entry, clinical course, and antimicrobial responses conform to other reports in the literature. The importance of obtaining careful anaerobic cultures is emphasized.

Infected aortic bifurcation grafts: experience with fourteen patients.

The experience with 14 patients with infected aortic bifurcation grafts has been reviewed. Factors which appeared to predispose to infection in 11 patients included "re-do" operations, concomitant cholecystectomy or gastrostomy, and ruptured abdominal aneurysm. A mixture of gastrointestinal organisms was responsible for the infections. The pathogenesis, presentation, and treatment varied according to whether the proximal or distal anastomosis was involved or not. Aortoduodenal communications were present in five patients; they presented with gastrointestinal bleeding or septicemia. One patient survived as a result of early, aggressive surgical therapy. Infection presented at the distal anastomosis in nine patients, either as groin abscess or false aneurysm. Conservative therapy failed in the majority of patients but apparently was successful in three of five patients in whom infection did not involve the intra-abdominal portion of the graft. When infection does involve the intra-abdominal portion of the graft, then the graft must be excised also. Revascularization often can be accomplished with extra-anatomic bypasses of prosthesis or autogenous material, depending on the characteristics of the individual patient. Regardless of the mode of presentation or the site of infection, the early institution of judicious surgical management offers the best chance of success in these patients, and temporization usually leads to failure.

Role of anaerobic bacteria in aortofemoral graft infection.

A 10-year review of specimens of aortofemoral graft infection sent to the microbiology laboratory for cultures of anaerobic bacteria revealed the presence of these organisms in 13 of 16 specimens. Nineteen organisms (1.5 per patient) were isolated: 16 anaerobes and 3 aerobes. The predominant bacteria were anaerobic gram-positive cocci (six isolates), Propionibacterium acnes (five), and Bacteroides fragilis group (four). Polymicrobial infection was present in three patients, all with decubitus ulcers. Conditions predisposing to the infections were present in nine patients and included the presence of preoperative infections in the form of ulcer or toe gangrene in four, decubitus ulcer in three, reoperation in two, and diabetes mellitus in one. These data illustrate the potential importance of anaerobic bacteria in aortofemoral graft infection.

Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome induced by whole-body hyperthermia and polychemotherapy in a patient with disseminated leiomyosarcoma of the uterus.

OBJECTIVE: Whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) in combination with chemotherapy is a relatively new promising treatment modality for patients with cancer. The objective of this report is to present the development of an acute systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) following WBH in combination with chemotherapy. Although WBH can also induce cytokine production, MODS has not been described before in association with WBH. DESIGN: Case report. The patient was treated with WBH (core temperature 41.8 degrees C using a radiant heat device (Aquatherm) ) in combination with polychemotherapy (ifosfamide, carboplatin and etoposide (ICE) ) in the context of a clinical trial for metastatic sarcomas. SETTING: Department of medical oncology and intensive care unit of a university hospital. PATIENT: A 58-year-old Caucasian woman treated for disseminated leiomyosarcoma of the uterus, who developed SIRS with brain dysfunction, hypotension, respiratory failure and renal dysfunction following WBH/ICE. INTERVENTIONS: She was successfully treated in the intensive care unit by mechanical ventilation, inotropics and antibiotics. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: There was a remarkable recovery within 2 days: she regained full conciousness, could be extubated, inotropic support was stopped and creatinine levels returned to pre-treatment levels. All cultures remained sterile. After almost complete recovery, 5 days later a second episode of fever during neutropenia occurred and, despite antibiotic treatment, she died of Bacteroides distasonis sepsis. CONCLUSION: WBH should be added as a new cause to the already known list of physical-chemical insults which can result in MODS.

Pelvic abscess. A sequela of first trimester abortion.

First trimester therapeutic abortions were performed in 6790 patients from January 1, 1972, through December 31, 1973. The infectious morbidity during an 18-month concurrent time period which required readmission to the hospital was 0.52 per 100 women. Four of these women were ultimately diagnosed as having a pelvic abscess thought to be related to the procedure. The cause was probably related to undiagnosed or inadequately managed uterine perforation. Initial management should consist of systemic antibiotics and, if possible, surgical drainage via colpotomy. Two special precautions which should be taken are the use of antibiotics specific for Bacteroides fragilis and the investigation of the possibility of bowel injury. Laparotomy should be considered in unresponsive cases because of the possibility of bowel injury and the necessity of adequate surgical drainage even with appropriate antibiotic coverage.

Perinatal septicemia due to the Bacteroidaceae.

Two cases of perinatal septicemia due to the Bacteroidaceae are discussed. In contrast to most cases of perinatal septicemia caused by aerobic bacteria, these cases were not associated with prolonged rupture of the fetal membranes.

Tuboovarian abscess following laparoscopic sterilization with silicone rubber bands.

Laparoscopic tubal sterilization utilizing Silastic rings generally has been free of infection except when technical complications occur during the procedure. The development of a unilateral tuboovarian abscess in 2 women who had undergone uncomplicated laparoscopic tubal interruption 1 month earlier is reported. In both patients, the pathogens cultured from abscess and/or blood were common members of vaginal-cervical flora, suggesting the infection occurred after the procedure via the ascending route.