Main Article

Preliminary report of associated factors in wound infection after major head and neck neoplasm operations — does the duration of prophylactic antibiotic matter?

S-A Liu^a1, K-C Tung^a3, J-Y Shiao^a1 and Y-T Chiu^a2 c1

^a1 Department of Otolaryngology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan

^a2 Department of Education and Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan

^a3 Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate whether an extended course of prophylactic antibiotic could reduce the wound infection rate in a subtropical country. Fifty-three consecutive cases scheduled to receive major head and neck operations were randomised into one-day or three-day prophylactic antibiotic groups. Thirteen cases (24.5 per cent) developed wound infections after operations. The duration of prophylactic antibiotic was not related to the surgical wound infection. However, pre-operative haemoglobulin less than 10.5 g/dl (odds ratio: 7.24, 95 per cent confidence interval: 1.28–41.0) and reconstruction with a free flap or pectoris major myocutaneous flap during the operation (odds ratio: 11.04, 95 per cent confidence interval: 1.17–104.7) were associated factors significantly influencing post-operative wound infection. Therefore, one day of prophylactic antibiotic was effective in major head and neck procedures but should not be substituted for proper aseptic and meticulous surgical techniques.

(Accepted January 29 2007)

(Online publication April 20 2007)

Key words

• Head and Neck Neoplasms;
• Wound Infection;
• Prophylactic Antibiotics;
• Otorhinolaryngological Surgical Procedures

Correspondence:

^c1 Address for correspondence: Y-T Chiu, Department of Education and Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, No. 160 Sec. 3, Chung-Kang Road, Taichung, Taiwan. Fax: 886 4 23596868 E-mail: an1654@seed.net.tw

Footnotes

Dr Y-T Chiu takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper.

Competing interests: None declared