Peritoneal Cultures and Antibiotic Treatment in Patients with Perforated Appendicitis

Abstract

Objective: When we sending material for microbiological examination during appendicectomy for perforated appendixes. Design: prospective study. Setting: Al-Shifaa private hospital, Iraq, Diyala governorate. Subjects: 40 patients who had their perforated appendixes removed. Interventions: Appendicectomy and antibiotic treatment. Main outcome measure: Whether a changes in antibiotic regimen was required after bacteriological identification of bacteria isolated during the operation. Results: In 19 of the cultures (48%) taken during the operation were mainly found Escherichia coli. In 29 patients (72.5%) there was no need to change the previously initiated antibiotic regimen, and in 8 (20%) it was changed on clinical grounds. In 3 patients (7.5%) was the change the consequence of microbiological culture result, as the organisms identied of the cultures (98%) were sensitive to at least one of the antibiotics that had already been given. Conclusion: The practice of culturing samples taken from a ruptured appendix is not need, because the antibiotic that has already been initiated is effective in most of the patients and the decision to modify the therapeutic regimen is dependent by clinical considerations.