VASCULAR INFECTIONS - EXCEEDING THE THRESHOLD

During fiscal year 1988, our hospital infection control practitioner i dentified a 400% increase in the incidence of vascular surgery nosocom ial infections, The six graft and six amputation infections were valid ated as nosocomial against hospital definitions adopted from the Cente rs for Disease Control. Our Infection Control Committee mandated an au dit of the infected vascular surgery patients using a case/control des ign to identify and examine associated variables that may need attenti on. The significant finding was microbial resistance to prophylactic a ntibiotics used during surgery (p > 0.0001, Fisher's exact). The use o f vancomycin as a prophylactic antimicrobial agent for all major vascu lar cases was recommended to the surgeons.