Importance of infection following laparotomy in childhood

Abstract

Laparotomy was performed on 579 children at the University Clinic of Paediatric Surgery in Mainz from 1.1.1975 to 31.12.1982. The children were up to 15 years of age; appendicitis or inguinal and umbilical hernia cases were not included. Postoperative sepsis occurred in 74 patients (12.8% of all children with laparotomy); in 51 cases positive bacteriological findings were seen besides the clinical and clinicochemical ones. Sepsis morbidity was particularly high in children who had not yet completed their first year of life (postoperative sepsis occurring in approximately every fourth infant); among the disease patterns, the following were particularly prominent: Defects of the abdominal wall (23 out of 50 children developed postoperative sepsis); intestinal atresia (18 out of 59 children); intestinal perforation (11 out of 39 children). In addition, sepsis morbidity was enhanced after relaparotomies. Gram-negative bacteria were most frequent among the 51 patients with bacteriologically positive findings; these bacteria consisted mostly of representatives of the group of enterogenous pathogens. These groups of bacteria were also the most frequently occurring pathogens in mixed and secondary infections. 33 out of 74 children with postoperative sepsis died. The mortality rate was 68% in prematurely born infants compared with mature newborns. Lethality was highest among children with congenital defects of the abdominal wall and intestinal perforations. Among the patients with bacteriologically positive findings the lethality was particularly high with multiple attacks of sepsis, in case of septitides caused by multiple pathogens, by Candida albicans and after relaparotomy.