Association of suction drain tips culture with postoperative infection in benign thyroid surgeries

Introduction: Wound infection is a rare complication after thyroid surgery. Because of controversy concerning with routine use of the drain by surgeons and its being considered a foreign body material, we aimed to evaluate the clinical significance and relevance of the drain tip culture and wound infection. Materials and methods: From March 2014 to March 2015, 150 consecutive patients undergoing thyroid surgery were studied. Wound infection was defined as occurring within the first 14 days from surgery. While we were suspicious to wound infection, sterile wound sampling was performed and sent to microbiology laboratory. Results: Postoperative infection developed in 4 patients (2.6%) during 2 weeks follow up. The sensitivity and specificity of the drain tip culture were 15% and 82%, respectively with a positive predictive value of 7.6%. Prolonged operative time was an independent risk factor for wound infection. There was no significant relationship between drain tip culture and wound infection. Conclusion: Routine use of the surgical drain can increase the incidence of the wound infection. However, the drain tip culture was not a predictor for wound complications after thyroid surgeries.