Significance of bacterial culturing of prophylactic drainage fluid in the early postoperative period after liver resection for predicting the development of surgical site infections.

PURPOSES

The relationship between the results of bacterial drainage fluid cultures in the early postoperative period after liver resection and the development of surgical site infections (SSIs) is unclear. We evaluated the diagnostic value of bacterial cultures of drainage fluid obtained on postoperative day (POD) 1 after liver resection.

METHODS

The cases of all consecutive patients who underwent elective liver resection from January 2014 to December 2016 were analyzed. The association between a positive culture result and the development of SSIs was analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 195 consecutive patients were studied. Positive drainage fluid cultures were obtained in 6 patients (3.1%). A multivariate analysis revealed that a positive drainage fluid culture was an independent risk factor for SSIs (odds ratio: 8.04, P = 0.035), and combined resection of the gastrointestinal tract was a risk factor for a positive drainage fluid culture (P = 0.006). Among the patients who did not undergo procedures involving the gastrointestinal tract, there was no association between drainage fluid culture positivity and SSIs.

CONCLUSIONS

The detection of positive culture results for drainage fluid collected on POD 1 after liver resection was associated with SSIs. However, among patients who did not undergo procedures involving the gastrointestinal tract, it was not a predictor of SSIs.