Swiss medical weekly
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426 patients who had undergone cholecystectomy took part in a retrospective study covering four years (1977-1980). 53 patients had gallbladder empyema. The complications in the 373 cholecystectomies without empyema were 4 wound infections (1.1%), 2 other infections, 10 postoperative hemorrhages (2.7%), 3 cases of retained stones (0.8%) and 7 other complications. Only 3 of the total of 6 infections required antibiotic therapy. ⋯ Treatment of acute cholecystitis is cholecystectomy within 24-48 h of onset of acute symptoms. The rate of infectious complications in patients with gallbladder empyema was 15.1%. Primary treatment for this disease is surgical removal of the infectious focus (cholecystectomy) and reduction of bacterial spread or treatment of peritonitis if already present.