Surgery, gynecology & obstetrics
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Surg Gynecol Obstet · Feb 1986
Preoperative hair removal with clippers does not increase infection rate in clean surgical wounds.
For a one year period, hair was removed from the operative site with clippers rather than by shaving with a razor or by application of depilatories. The study involved comparison of clean (Class I) wound infection rates in 2,580 patients after clipping was instituted compared with 17,424 patients studied in seven preceding years. ⋯ Failure to show a clear reduction in wound infection rate was probably related to the low historic base line rate. There were definite benefits achieved by avoiding cancellation of elective operations, by using operating room personnel more efficiently and by expediating the surgical schedule.
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Recent immigration trends have resulted in an increased prevalence of amebic hepatic abscesses in southern states and in many northern American cities. Because amebic hepatic abscesses generally do not require drainage, differentiation from pyogenic hepatic abscesses is important. We, therefore, reviewed the records of patients admitted to the UCLA Medical Center from 1968 through 1983 to compare the clinical manifestations and to access the results of treatment of pyogenic and amebic hepatic abscesses. ⋯ Over-all, the mortality was 40 per cent for patients with pyogenic abscesses whereas all 40 of the patients with an amebic abscess survived. However, operative mortality was only 4.5 per cent for the 22 patients with pyogenic abscess who were managed with systemic antibiotics and surgical drainage. We conclude that many clinical and laboratory parameters can aid in the differentiation and, as a result, management of patients with pyogenic and amebic hepatic abscesses.