Alteration of intestinal microflora following preoperative mechanical preparation of the colon

Abstract

Summary The effects of vigorous preoperative mechanical cleansing on the microflora of the ileum, intra-abdominal colon and stool were studied in 12 patients. Mechanical bowel preparation, with dietary restriction, cathartics, and enemas, significantly reduced the mean concentration of coliforms only. Obligate anaerobes, the major constituents of the colonic microflora, and other aerobic and microaerophilic intestinal bacteria were not significantly altered. Vigorous mechanical cleansing reduces the total fecal mass, but the residual bowel content harbors microflora which are a potential source of wound infection following colonic operations.