Throat Swabs Taken on the Operating Table Prior to Cleft Palate Repair and Their Relevance to Outcome: A Prospective Study

Objective: The main objective of this study was to determine whether bacteria cultured from oral swabs taken at the time of surgery predicted postoperative fistula formation. Design: The study was a prospective longitudinal audit. Setting: The setting was a designated U.K. N.H.S. cleft center. Patients: Subjects consisted of the patients of a single cleft surgeon who were undergoing surgery for cleft palate repair or cleft fistula repair. Interventions: Oral microbiological swabs were taken from patients while they were on the operating table just before surgery. Main outcome measures: The results from microbiological culture of the swabs were recorded, as was the presence or absence of a fistula at 6 months postoperatively. Additional collected information was related to the severity of the cleft, whether the operating microscope was used during surgery, and whether the patient had developed a postoperative upper respiratory tract infection. Results: Positive swab cultures were not significantly associated with fistula formation. Use of the operating microscope was not associated with an increase or decrease in the number of fistulas. A fistula developed in all patients who experienced a postoperative upper respiratory tract infection. Conclusions: The practice of performing routine preoperative mouth swabs should be abandoned because the presence of bacteria in the mouth does not increase the risk of fistula formation.