[Determination of antimicrobial activity of wound discharge for assessing wound healing]

The authors studied the dynamics of changes of antimicrobial activity of the wound discharge in 70 patients, aged from 18 to 83 years, who underwent operations for emergency diseases of the abdominal organs with postoperative suppuration of the wound. The study was conducted at the peak of suppuration, in the regeneration phase, and before closure of the wound with sutures. The antimicrobial activity of the wound discharge was found to be low at the peak of wound suppuration with marked necrotic changes of the tissues, as well as in poor granulations, and good in uncomplicated course of the wound process. Changes of antimicrobial activity of the wound discharge, both in uncomplicated and complicated course of the wound process, correlated with the clinical signs of healing. The obtained data make in possible to determine antimicrobial activity of the wound discharge for evaluation of healing, prognostication of bacterial complications in the wound, and control over the efficacy of the treatment.