[Early treatment of intraoperative infections based on bacteriological testing (author's transl)]

Validity and efficiency of an antibiotic prophylaxis after extensive orthopedic and traumatological procedures are not universally accepted. Often the systematic antibiotic prophylaxis is withhold because of considerable disadvantages. A new method is reported, which enables a bactericidal antibiotic therapy based on bacteriological testing of swabs taken during and after surgery. Thus the administration of antibiotics is possible long before the clinical manifestation of an infection. Immediate therapy diminishes the danger of complications from infections. With this method microbial contamination was found and treated in 53 (17.44%) of 305 operations. Of these, only 0.66% resulted in deep infections and 3.6% delayed healings without further complications.