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ANZSVS Conference 2025
Wound culture results as a prognostic indicator of clinical outcomes in surgical site infections following femoral popliteal artery bypass surgery
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Poster

Disciplines

Vascular

Presentation Description

Institution: Wagga Wagga Base Hospital - New South Wales , Australia

Purpose Groin wound infections in patients who have undergone femoral popliteal artery bypass surgery have significant implications. Due to the close proximity of the surgical incision to urogenital organs, there is an increased risk of surgical site infections. This study aims to investigate the use of wound swab results and infective organisms as a prognostic tool to guide management of groin infections in the setting of vascular surgery. Methodology A retrospective audit was conducted to identify patients who have undergone a femoral-popliteal bypass in Wagga Wagga Base Hospital (New South Wales, Australia) between April 2015 and April 2024. All patients who sustained postoperative groin site infections with a positive wound swab following a femoral-popliteal bypass were included in the study. Data collected included gender, diabetic status, smoking status and presence of cardiac disease. The first positive wound swab result was included in the study, and the type of infective organism grown was recorded. Surgical outcomes including 30-day mortality, total number of debridements, intensive care admissions, and length of stay were collected. Results 17 patients were included in the study. 35.2 percent were female, with a mean age of 69.1 years. The patient with the highest number of repeat debridements between their index femoral popliteal bypass operation and final wound healing grew Corynebacterium stratum in their groin swab. 64.7 percent of groin infections were gram positive organisms. The association between mortality and intensive care admission and type of microorganisms grown was not statistically significant. Conclusion This is the first study investigating the use of wound swab results as a prognostic tool in the management of groin site infections following femoral-popliteal bypass. Further studies with a larger patient population should be used to ascertain its true efficacy as a prognostic tool.
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Dr Shawn Ng -