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Mild hypothermia does not increase bacterial proliferation on implanted vascular grafts
Pascal Alfonsi1, Marc Coggia, Véronique Leflon-Guibout
1Department of Anesthesiology, Hôpital Ambroise Paré AP-HP, and René Descartes University, 9 Avenue Charles de Gaulle, Boulogne-Billancourt, 92100, France. pascal.alfonsi@apr.ap-hop-paris.fr
American Journal of Surgery
|July 24, 2002
Summary
Mild perioperative hypothermia did not increase Staphylococcus epidermidis proliferation on aortic vascular grafts in dogs. This suggests immune function impairment is not a significant factor in graft infections during mild hypothermia.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Infectious Disease
- Immunology
Background:
- Mild hypothermia may protect against spinal cord ischemia during aortic surgery.
- Hypothermia can increase postoperative infection risk by impairing immune function.
- The study investigated if immune impairment significantly affects vascular graft infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that mild perioperative hypothermia does not reduce resistance to vascular graft infection.
- To determine if hypothermia-induced immune impairment exacerbates graft infections.
Main Methods:
- Twenty dogs underwent aortic replacement with Staphylococcus epidermidis-colonized prostheses.
- Dogs were randomly assigned to normothermia or passive cooling during surgery.
- Grafts were bacteriologically studied seven days post-surgery.
Main Results:
- Bacterial colony counts on grafts did not significantly differ between normothermic and hypothermic groups.
- Mild hypothermia did not lead to increased Staphylococcus epidermidis proliferation on aortic grafts.
Conclusions:
- Mild perioperative hypothermia does not increase the proliferation of Staphylococcus epidermidis on aortic vascular grafts.
- The findings suggest that mild hypothermia's effect on immune function does not significantly increase graft infection risk.