Bactibilia and surgical site infection after open cholecystectomy

Bactibilia is the presence of bacteria in gall bladder bile and may play a role in the appearance of septic complications. It has been related to increased rates of surgical site infection after cholecystectomy. In this study we investigated whether bactibilia correlates with the presence of surgical site infection after cholecystectomy.

In this observational and descriptive study we investigated those patients operated by open cholecystectomy because of chronic cholecystitis. Patients had bile culture during surgery (January-December 2006). There were two study groups: patients with negative biliary culture (group 1) and patients with positive biliary culture (group 2). Variables were age, gender, biliary culture reports, abscess, cellulitis, seroma, and hematoma. Statistical analysis included Pearson chi(2) or Fisher's exact test. For independent variables, Student t-test was used.

Eighty patients were included (n = 40 per group). There were 24 males (30%) and 56 females (70%) who had open cholecystectomy and had biliary culture. General morbidity was 42.50% and surgical site infection rate in general was 11.25%. There were two patients with abscesses and two patients with cellulitis in group 1. There were four patients with abscesses and one patient with cellulitis in group 2. There was no statistically significant difference when comparing surgical site infection in both groups.

The presence of bacteria in gall bladder cultures does not correlate with the development of surgical site infection after open cholecystectomy.