Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are the most common adverse events after Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). However, there is a paucity of literature characterizing gram-negative (GN) SSIs after MMS.
Objective: This study aimed to depict the clinical features and risk factors of GN infections after MMS.
Materials and methods: A retrospective review was performed from all postoperative wound cultures after MMS from 2017 to 2021 at Saint Louis University Medical Center. Patient demographics, surgical details, and wound clinical characteristics at follow-up appointments were reviewed.
Results: Six hundred and seventy-six wound cultures were eligible with 15.1% yielding GN infection. Gram-negative SSIs had significantly lower rates of severe erythema and purulence compared with gram-positive (GP) SSIs, and only had significantly more edema compared with culture-negative wounds ( p < .05). Although not significant, there was a trend for GN SSIs to have higher rates of pain compared with culture-negative wounds ( p = .075).
Conclusion: Gram-negative SSIs after MMS may present with more subtle clinical features, especially compared with typical GP infections. Having a low threshold for obtaining wound culture for edematous or painful postoperative wounds may aid in detecting potentially overlooked GN infections.
Copyright © 2023 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.