A syndrome of sepsis arising on the third day after operation, trauma, or intensive care and caused by infection introduced through continuous intravenous devices with resulting acute-thrombophlebitis was named the third day surgical fever by Altemeier.
In, 1971, Altemeier´s series has been, documented that all patients not only had evidence of clinical sepsis associated with positive blood cultures, but also had thrombophlebitis complic-ating a continuous intravenous infusions.
In his series, eighty-one percents had cultures of the intravenous device tip which grew same organism as; was recovered from the blood, and the most frequent organisms cultured were Serratia (30%x, Klebsiella (16%); Bacteroides (13%) and. Staphylococcus (11%).
He also reported that early recognition of the syndrome with removal of the continuous intravenous device, administration of appropriate antibiotics, and use of adequate supportive-therapy produced best results.
In our series from January 1976 till March 1977, a syndrome of the third day surgical fever has been documented in seventeen patients.
Fifty-three percents had cultures of the intravenous device tip which grew same organism was recovered from the blood, and the most frequent organisms cultured were Herella (24 %), Mima (24%), Staphylococcus (24%), Enterococcus (18%), Alkaigeges facalis (5%)´ and Enterobacter´aerogenes (5%).
|