[Splenectomy--a strictly aseptic intervention?]

To determine the factors causing wound infections after splenectomy, 211 patients undergoing surgery during 1982-1991 were studied in two groups:--Patients with clean-contaminated or contaminated operations with additional splenectomy in the same session;--Patients with elective splenectomy only. While in the first group the rate of disorders of wound healing (DWH) was 31.6%, the second group had a rate of 8.15%. This rate was higher than for other clean operations in our hospital and was as high as for clean-contaminated operations such as cholecystectomy. Among the patients older than 60 years, 38.2% had DWH, as against 8.9% of the patients younger than 60 years. The mean operating time in patients with wound infections was 223 min, while the mean operating time in patients without infections was 125 min. In patients with wound infections the gamma-GT was higher than in patients who had no infection. After these results we have given 2 g ceftriaxon as single-shot prophylaxis before every splenectomy. Since starting this, we have performed 28 splenectomies, and DWH has been observed in only 1 (3.57%). We therefore recommend antibiotic prophylaxis.