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Stoma closure and wound infection: an evaluation of risk factors
1Department of Surgery, Toronto Hospital, ON.
Objective:
To assess the infection rate in the nonstoma wound in patients who undergo stoma closure.
Design:
Chart review.
Setting:
A tertiary-care hospital.
Patients:
Ninety-five patients who underwent elective closure of an abdominal wall stoma requiring a separate abdominal incision.
Interventions:
Elective general surgery procedures.
Main Outcome Measure:
Wound infection rate.
Results:
The overall wound infection rate was 29%. Primary wound closure was associated with a markedly increased wound infection rate (41%) compared with delayed primary or secondary wound closure (15%). No other preoperative factor specifically predicted a high rate of postoperative nonstoma wound infection.
Conclusions:
The nonstoma wound during elective closure of an abdominal stoma is at high risk for infection postoperatively. Delayed primary or secondary closure may lessen this risk.