[Frequency and causes of wound infection and pneumonia rate following various surgical operations].

753 patients who underwent general surgery were prospectively analysed with respect to postoperative wound infection and the pulmonary infection rate. A clear distinction was made between the real infection rate and those infections that were not combined with other complications and were therefore called "isoated" infections. It could be demonstrated that operations concerned with colon and perforated viscera had an increased isolated wound sepsis rate, the gastric resection, however, could be counted as a clean operation. Furthermore, the would sepsis rate after colonic surgery was also very low in those cases where an adequate operative techique was used. The pulmonary infection rate showed the opposite behaviour, since patients with gastric resection were particularly endangered. The reasons for that are discussed and target groups for use of prophylactic antibiotic therapy are named.