[Teicoplanin in the prevention of wound infections in major ambulatory surgery]

Abstract

Wound infection is a frequent complication and is related to various parameters: type of surgery, patient's age, nutritional status, associated diseases, length of surgery and hospital stay, use of prosthesis and drainage and finally surgeon's ability. The frequency of wound infection is reported between 1.5%-5.1% after "clean surgery" and the greatest source of microbial contamination is due to GRAM positive cocci either aerobic or anaerobic. The Authors present their experience of ultra short-term prophylaxis with Teicoplanin in 375 patients undergoing major ambulatory surgery. Median age was 49 years (15-87 ys); patients over 65 years were 22%. Hernias of the abdominal wall and varicose veins represent the diseases most commonly operated on. In 30% of the cases the patients selected for major ambulatory surgery were in II and III classes according to the standards of the American Society of Anaesthesiologists (A.S.A.). The ultra short-term prophylaxis with Teicoplanin was administered as follows: 400 mg, i.v., thirty minutes pre-operatively. The operations were performed under local or loco-regional anaesthesia. The choice of Teicoplanin was based on the strong bactericidal activity on GRAM positive cocci, including the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections, and on the long activity of the drug. The results were considered according to the American College of Surgeons scheme: no wound infection was observed and excellent local and general drug's tolerance were noticed. Ultra short-term prophylaxis in ambulatory surgery was chosen for the following reasons: large use of prosthesis, major risk of sepsis in older patients and at last for a badly accepted infective complications in outpatient surgery.