oa Central African Journal of Medicine - Infection in Prosthetic Arterial Grafts

Abstract

Infection in a prosthetic graft is a tragedy. The graft infection rate has been noted by various authors at between 0,25% and 6% with an average of 2%. The mortality varies between 25% and 75%. It is almost 100% fatal in an aortic graft. The experience of a single-man consultant peripheral vascular surgical practice, over the past ten years is reviewed. During this time serious sepsis has occurred in five of the cases. However, sepsis as defined by stitch abscesses or lymphoceles ran at 5%. The practice has averaged one graft per week, the bulk of these being either aortic trouser grafts, or femoral bypass grafts. Only two axillo-femoral grafts were carried out in the period of ten years, and no cross-over grafts have been undertaken.