Injury (1986) 17, 145-146 Printedin Great Britain 145

Abstracts BACTERIOLOGY AND INFECTION

Antiseptic wound irrigation The incidence of sepsis was recorded in incision wounds of guinea pigs experimentally contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus and irrigated with four different antiseptics at different dilutions in water and with physiological saline. When the wounds were irrigated 15 minutes after inoculation of the staphylococcal suspension, septic infection was prevented by chlorhexidine and significantly reduced by benzalkonium chloride and povidone iodine solutions; noxytiolin and phy- siological saline did not reduce the incidence or severity of sepsis. When the wounds were irrigated 45 minutes before inoculation of staphylococci, only chlorhexidine caused a reduction in the sepsis rate.

Platt J. and Bucknall R. A. (1984) An experimental evalua- tion of antiseptic wound irrigation. J. Hosp. Infection 5,181.

Iodine-impregnated drapes in preoperative skin prepara- tion In a randomized study three preoperative skin preparations (alcoholic povidone iodine alone, the same plus a 'Steridrape' cover, and an iodine-containing incise drape called ' Ioban' alone) were compared with each other, in 45 patients having clean inguinal surgery, for their effectiveness in reducing bacterial colony counts from treated skin. The first two preparations gave lower counts than ' Ioban' drape.

Lewis D. A., Leaper D. J. and Speller D. C. E. (1984) Prevention of bacterial colonisation of wounds at operation: comparison of iodine-impregnated drape ( ' Ioban') with con- ventional methods. J. Hosp. Infection 5,431.

Dressings over peripheral intravenous devices Intravenous cannula-tip colonization was greater when the site of cannulation was covered with an occlusive polymer dressing ( 'OpSite ') left undisturbed until removal of the cannula than when the site was covered with a non-occlusive gauze dressing held in place with crepe or cotton bandage. There was a strong association between Staphylococcus aureus colonization and thrombophlebitis, but the incidence of thrombophlebitis was not greater in the patients who were dressed with occlusive dressing.

Kelsey M. C. and Gosling M. (1984) A comparison of the morbidity associated with occlusive and non-occlusive dress- ings applied to peripheral intravenous devices. J. Hosp. Infec- tion 5, 313.

Antibacterial and complement-activating properties of dressings 'OpSite ' was more effective in killing Escherichia coli, Strep- tococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus than was 'Tegaderm'; it also killed Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which was unaffected by 'Tegaderm'.

Holland K. T., Davis N., Ingham E. and Gowland G. (1984) A comparison of the in vitro antibacterial and complement-activating effects of 'OpSite ' and 'Tegaderm' dressings. J. Hosp. Infection 5, 323.

Microbial growth in intravenous fluids Growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis, Serratia marcescens,

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans in 12 different intravenous fluids at room temperature was assessed. Gram- negative organisms grew better than Gram-positive ones, and the most vigorous growth was in intralipid solutions. Solu- tions with osmolalities over 500 m.osmol/litre inhibited micro- bial growth. Gram-negative bacilli in fluids inhibited the growth of S. epidermidis and, in some solutions, of Candida albicans.

Garcia-Caballero J., Herruzo-Cabrera H., Vera Cortes M. L. et al. (1985) The growth of micro-organisms in intra- venous fluids. J. Hosp. Infection 6, 154.

Limiting wound contamination with Ps. aeruginosa A controlled trial in 65 patients with burns covering more than 15 per cent of the body surface area tested the effects of either 0-05 per cent chlorhexidine for bathing burn wounds or the topical application of a cream containing cerium nitrate and silver sulphadiazine. With respect to contamination of the wounds with Ps. aeruginosa, the cream containing cerium nitrate and silver sulphadiazine resulted in significantly less contamination than did treatment with chlorhexidine. The adherent eschar produced by treatment with the cerium ni- trate silver sulphadiazine cream provided a satisfactory wound cover until tangential excision and grafting could be carried out.

Boeckx W., Focquet M., Cornelissen M. et al. (1985) Bacteriological effect of cerium flamazine cream in major burns. Burns 11,337.

THORACIC AND ABDOMINAL INJURIES

Girth measurement and intraperitoneal haemorrhage Girth measurements were taken on 12 patients who were given intraperitoneal injections from 550 to 2000ml. Girth increase per 500ml infusion varied from - 0 . 4 to +2.1cm. Girth is not a reliable indicator of intraperitoneal haemor- rhage.

Aitken R. J. and Clifford P. C. (1985) Girth measurement is not a reliable investigation for the detection of intra- abdominal fluid. Ann. R. Coll. Surg. Engl. 67, 241.

Lipid peroxidation and acute lung injury The role of neutrophil-derived oxygen products responsible for lung injury in rats with burns covering 30 per cent of the body surface area was determined by treatment with iron chelators, scavengers of the hydroxyl radical or with vitamin E. All three materials gave a significant degree of protection from acute lung injury. Products of lipid peroxidation (conju- gated dienes) appear in burned skin within 15 minutes of injury, in lung tissue by 2 hours and in plasma with peak concentrations at both 30 minutes and 3 hours. The appear- ance of the conjugated dienes in plasma at both times was diminished if the animals were pretreated with an iron chela- tor, with catalase, with a scavenger of hydroxyl radicals or if the animals were depleted of neutrophils or complement factors or if the burned skin was excised immediately after burning.

Till G. O., Hatherill J. R., Tourtellotte W. W. et al. (1985) Lipid peroxidation and acute lung injury after thermal trauma to skin. Evidence of a role for hydroxyl radical. Am. J. Pathol. 119, 376.