[Peritonitis determined by the site of intra-abdominal surgery]

The aim of this study was to determine bacterial flora infecting the peritoneal cavity during intraabdominal surgery by site of operation. Three groups of patients were examined. 29 patients who underwent surgery on the stomach, duodenum, biliary tract or pancreas, 15 patients operated on because of acute appendicitis and 63 patients operated on because of colon or rectum tumours. At the end of the operation but before closure cultures were obtained by swab from the completed anastomosis site. Samples were placed into transport medium and transported promptly to the laboratory. The results of the bacteriological examinations showed that the peritoneal cavity of all patients operated on were infected with bacteria characteristic for the digestive tract, especially by Enterobacteriaceae spp., Enterococcus spp. and Bacteroides spp. From patients operated on because of rectum or colon tumours 3 or 4 bacterial species were isolated most often and they were often infected with P. aeruginosa and C. albicans. This was in contrast to patients from the other groups. In patients infected with polymicrobial flora, B. fragilis and E. coli or enterococci and E. coli and enterococci were most often seen.