Effect of mechanical bowel preparation with polyethyleneglycol on bacterial contamination and wound infection in patients undergoing elective open colon surgery

Abstract

Mechanical bowel preparation is common practice in elective colon surgery. In order to verify the effect of mechanical bowel preparation on the colonic flora, this study followed 185 patients undergoing elective open colon surgery, 90 of whom were assigned randomly to receive mechanical bowel preparation with polyethyleneglycol. Swabs of the anastomosis and the subcutis were taken during surgery. Further swabs were taken of any subsequent wound infections. Mechanical bowel preparation did not reduce contamination of the peritoneal cavity or the subcutis during surgery, and there appeared to be more sterile subcutaneous swabs in the control group. © 2005 Copyright by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.