Wound infection rates after gastric surgery in a Melbourne hospital.

In four groups of 25 patients in whom perioperative prophylactic antibiotics were not used, the wound infection rates after partial gastrectomy were 40% in gastric cancer, 44% in chronic gastric ulcer, 24% in chronic duodenal ulcer and after trunkal vagotomy and pyloroplasty, the wound infection rate was 12%. In gastric cancer and chronic gastric ulcer, most wound infections were caused by enterobacteria, while in chronic duodenal ulcer almost all infections were caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Appropriate short-term perioperative prophylactic antibiotic use is likely to decrease wound sepsis rate in patients who have a gastric resection in the presence of gastric cancer or gastric ulcer.