[Postoperative infections and wound healing disorders in patients with infantile cerebral palsy].

As part of a retrospective study including 569 patients with ICP and a group of 405 controls, the risk of postoperative wound healing disorders and wound infections was investigated in surgically treated children with cerebral palsy. The higher rate of wound healing disorders in ICP patients could not be attributed to factors such as excessively long duration of operation, secondary interventions, or a high number of interventions per operation. Rather, the causes of the increased risk of infection have to be seen in connection with the symptoms of ICP itself, such as immunological weakness, increased tendency to sweat, reduced circulation in the affected extremity and disturbances of sensitivity and perception. A direct link between these parameters and increased risk of postoperative infection can only be established by prospective studies.