Bacterial translocation in abdominal trauma and postoperative infections.

Background: Bacterial translocation (BT) describes the passage of bacteria residing into the gastrointestinal tract, through the intestinal mucosa barrier to sterile tissues such as mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and other organs. This phenomenon has not been thoroughly studied in patients with trauma to date, and an association between BT and postoperative infection has not been well established so far.

Methods: MLNs from 36 patients with abdominal trauma were removed during laparotomy and cultured to detect BT.