[Bacterial studies of wound and drainage systems and their correlation with clinical findings].

The wound secretions of the 1st and 2nd postoperative day as well as the drain tip of the 2nd postoperative day were examined bacteriologically. As a result it was found that with the increasing duration of drainage there was also an increase of the contamination rate. The exchange of the suction flasks, which seldom is performed in a hygienically unobjectionable way, was found to be especially problematical. If several bacteriological data are available, the bacteriology of the wound drainage is a simple, but informative way to diagnose the situation of wound healing. It was possible in the present study on 103 Redon drainages to show at the 2 wound infections occurred that the bacteria and/or bacterial combinations ascertained in the wound secretion and at the drain tip were the very same as were found later when the wound infection application became manifest. The systematic application of antibiotics have influence upon the identification of germs and may be responsible for any falsely negative result. The correlation with clinical data, such as body temperature and wound infection, makes evident that in many cases the identification of germs in the drainage system is of clinical importance.