DOI: 10.1093/bjs/znad258.102 ISSN:

414 Has Routine Purulent Peritoneal Fluid Aspirate Culture Results During Appendicectomy Helped in Patients’ Management?

U A Kalu, J Walshaw, V Ravi, S Yassin, M Eltom, G Jayawardane
  • Surgery

Abstract

Background

Intra-operative purulent peritoneal fluid aspirate for microscopy, culture and sensitivity during appendicectomy is routinely practiced aiding post-operative management of patients if the patients get unwell requiring a change of the prescribed pre-operative antibiotics. As at the time of this audit, there was no guideline in the NHS regarding the routine purulent peritoneal aspirate for culture during appendicectomy. This necessitated the need to carry out this audit.

Aim

To evaluate if there is/ are benefit(s) from the routine purulent peritoneal fluid aspirate culture results during appendicectomy.

Method

This was a retrospective review of medical records with operation notes of all the patients who had appendicectomy with purulent peritoneal fluid that were aspirated for microscopy culture and sensitivity in the last 3 years (May 2019 to April 2022). The data were analysed using SPSS version 22.

Results

There were 127 patients that had appendicectomy and 73 (57.5%) patients had purulent peritoneal fluid culture results. Seventy-one (71.2%) of the patients had positive culture result from the purulent peritoneal fluid while there was no growth in the culture result in 28.8% of the remaining patients. Re-operation and ultrasound drainage were avoided in 13 patients out of 17 patients with post-operative intra-abdominal collections due to the change of the pre-operative antibiotics following the routine peritoneal fluid culture results.

Conclusions

The routine purulent peritoneal fluid culture results during appendicectomy was beneficial in 28.8% of the patients that required change of the pre-operative antibiotics due to the culture results.

More from our Archive