Surgical site infections after pancreaticoduodenectomy: preoperative biliary system interventions and antimicrobial prophylaxis

Abstract

Background: The rate of surgical site infection (SSI) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is high and insertion of preoperative bile duct catheterization (PBDC) predispose a high risk of SSI with multidrug resistant (MDR) microorganisms. Aim: To describe the effects of PBDC and the prophylaxis in development of SSI. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study between January 01, 2010 and December 2018 including the patients with PD and total pancreatectomy. Findings: In total 214 consecutive patients were included. The PBDC was inserted to 63 (29%) patients. The rate of intraoperative bile fluid culture positivity was higher among the patients with PBDC (84% vs. 17% respectively, p < 0.001). The SSI was detected in 52 patients (24%). In multivariate analysis, the rate of SSI was found to be higher among the patients with PBDC (OR: 2.33, 95% Cl: 1.14–4.76, p = 0.02). As the etiologic agents of SSI, Pseudomonas spp. and MDR pathogens were mainly detected in PBDC group. The resistance to ampicillin-sulbactam was significantly higher in the PBDC group (87.5% vs. 25%, p = 0.012). The similar bacterial species both in bile fluid and the surgical site were detected in 11 (21%) patients with SSI. Among 8 patients (15%), antimicrobial susceptibility was the same. Only in five out of 52 (10%) patients, the SSI pathogens was susceptible to the agent that was used for surgical prophylaxis. Conclusion: Unnecessary catheterizations should be avoided. By considering the increasing prevalence of resistant bacteria as the cause of SSI, the clinicians should closely follow-up their patients for choosing the proper antimicrobials.