Keywords
Wound complications
Wounds in HIV patients
Sepsis
Wound breakdown
How to Cite
Abstract
Vulvectomy is commonly done for vulvar squamous cell cancer. The type of surgery done is also
associated with varying rates of wound complications. In the South African medical literature, there is a lack of studies reporting on post vulva surgery wound complications and organisms cultured after vulva wound sepsis in HIV positive individuals. We conducted a descriptive, retrospective, and case control study to determine the incidence of wound complications (primary outcome). The secondary outcome was to determine the nature of the cultured microbial organisms. The study was approved by the Wits Human Research Ethics Committee (M220938). The post-operative complications of vulva surgery were increased in the HIV positive compared to the HIV negative group: higher rates of sepsis (17.9%); wound breakdown (15.9%); flap necrosis (1.1%) and lymphocysts (1.1%).. The organisms cultured in the HIV positive group in descending order of prevalence were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, and equal prevalence of Morganella morganii, Klebsiella pneumonia, Enterococcus faecium, and Candida albicans. This study may warrant a review of the choice of prophylactic and empiric antibiotics used on HIV positive patients pre- and post-operatively for vulva surgery to improve patient outcomes.
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