Prevention of synthetic arterial graft infections by improved hygienic routine and dicloxacillin administration.

Abstract

30/60 patients electively reconstructed with synthetic arterial grafts were randomly treated with dicloxacillin per- and postoperatively for 6 days. Wound infections occurred in 10 of the non-treated patients. 1 of whom had a graft infection. In the dicloxacillin group no wound infection was recorded. Overgrowth with bacteria resistant to isoxazolylpenicillin was not noticed during treatment. No late infections occurred. In comparison with previous results, improved hygienic routines before, during and after operation reduced the incidence of postoperative graft infections from 15 to 3%. As postoperative infections after synthetic arterial graft implantation are serious complications, per- and postoperative antibiotic treatment seems justified as a complement to a rigorous hygienic routine.