RELEVANCE OF BACTERIAL CULTURES OF ABDOMINAL AORTIC-ANEURYSM CONTENTS

Background. To establish further insight into the relevance of intraop erative bacterial cultures of abdominal aortic aneurysm contents a stu dy was performed of the rate of occurrence of prosthetic graft infecti on after aneurysm repair. Methods. Bacterial cultures were obtained fr om 216 patients, who were followed up for more than 3.5 years after op eration and studied retrospectively in a single center analysis. Resul ts. Thrombus cultures yielded bacteria in 55 of 216 (25.5%) cases, inc luding 11 of 44 (25%) cases with ruptured aneurysms. Prosthetic infect ions (4 of 216; 1.9%) occurred more frequently (p < 0.02) in patients with positive thrombus cultures (3 of 55; 5.5%) than. in patients with negative cultures (1 of 161; 0.6%). In two patients the species isola ted from the thrombus was also cultured from the vascular prosthesis, although in one graft infection. other organisms were also isolated. C onclusions. The presence of bacteria in the intraluminal thrombus does not appear to be an important factor in the development of graft infe ction after primary elective and urgent abdominal aortic aneurysm repa ir. Therefore routine intraoperative cultures are unnecessary unless c linical signs of infective aortitis are present.