An eight year experience of conservative management for aortic graft sepsis

Eur J Vasc Surg. 1994 Sep;8(5):611-6. doi: 10.1016/s0950-821x(05)80600-0.

Abstract

This paper describes the results of conservative management of 15 patients with aortic graft infection. The median time to presentation was 4 months. Six of eight grafts that were sent for culture grew organisms, of which the commonest were streptococci and coagulase negative staphylococci. Four patients did not receive intensive antibiotic treatment and all died of sepsis. Eleven patients received intensive intravenous and oral antibiotic therapy and appropriate surgical management; two of these died, one of a stroke and the other of an unknown cause. Two of the nine surviving patients had no surgery and the remainder had procedures to drain pus and unblock occluded grafts, including minimal graft excision in four patients, although two of these subsequently required total graft excision. The follow-up period for six of these nine patients is more than 4 years. For most patients with aortic graft infection aggressive antibiotic treatment supplemented by minimalist surgery is preferable to primary radical surgery.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Aged
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / adverse effects
  • Aortic Diseases / drug therapy
  • Aortic Diseases / mortality
  • Aortic Diseases / surgery*
  • Blood Vessel Prosthesis*
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Infusions, Intravenous
  • Length of Stay
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Prosthesis-Related Infections / drug therapy
  • Prosthesis-Related Infections / mortality
  • Prosthesis-Related Infections / surgery*
  • Staphylococcal Infections / drug therapy
  • Staphylococcal Infections / mortality
  • Staphylococcal Infections / surgery*
  • Streptococcal Infections / drug therapy
  • Streptococcal Infections / mortality
  • Streptococcal Infections / surgery*
  • Survival Rate

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents