The effects of perioperative hypothermia and the duration of anesthesia onpostoperative wound infection rate in clean wounds: A retrospective study

Objective-To determine the effects of hypothermia and duration of anesthesi a on the infection rate in clean wounds in dogs and cats. Study Design-Retrospective clinical study. Sample Population-Seven hundred seventy-seven dogs and cats undergoing clea n surgical procedures. Methods-Records of animals prospectively evaluated for postoperative wound infection were retrospectively evaluated for the prevalence of perioperativ e hypothermia. Body temperatures during the perioperative period and the du ration of surgery and anesthesia were recorded. Data were analyzed to ident ify differences between animals with infected and uninfected wounds and mul tiple logistic regression modeling was used to evaluate the independent con tribution of risk factors to the incidence of postoperative wound infection . Results-No statistically significant differences were found in the analysis of temperature data between animals with infected and uninfected wounds. D uration of anesthesia was significantly greater in animals with wound infec tions (P = .01). Multiple logistic regression modeling identified duration of anesthesia as a risk factor for postoperative wound infection independen t of the duration of surgery. Conclusions-In animals with clean surgical wounds, mild perioperative hypot hermia is not a significant risk factor for postoperative wound infection. The duration of anesthesia, however, is a significant risk factor independe nt of the duration of surgery. Clinical Relevance-To decrease the incidence of postoperative wound infecti on, the duration of anesthesia should be minimized. Surgical time, as well as the time required for ancillary diagnostic tests while under anesthesia should, therefore, be kept to a reasonable minimum. (C) Copyright 2000 by T he American College of Veterinary Surgeons.