Post-operative wound sepsis following obstetrical and gynaecological laparotomies in Nigeria.

The results of a prospective survey of post-operative wound sepsis following obstetrical and gynaecological laparotomies at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria are presented. The overall wound sepsis rate was 20.2 per cent, but the corresponding rates in the gynaecological, primary obstetrical and repeat obstetrical cases were 14.9 per cent, 7.0 per cent and 29.9 per cent respectively. Statistical tests indicate that these rates differ significantly. The rate among the gynaecological cases did not differ significantly from the primary obstetrical cases, but that of the repeat obstetrical cases was significantly higher than those of the other two groups. The poorer wound healing in the repeat obstetrical laparotomies is thought to be due to poor blood supply. The variables that correlated significantly with wound sepsis rate were: pre-operative anaemia, number of medical students in theatre, antibiotic chemoprophylaxis and excision of previous scar in repeat laparotomies. The commonest organism involved in the wound sepsis was staph pyogenes. The wound sepsis rate obtained in this survey was high and various preventive measures are discussed.