Increased risk of wound complications and poor healing following laparotomy in HIV-seropositive and AIDS patients

The number of individuals in the UK who are HIV seropositive is increasing as is their presentation with abdominal complications. Poor wound healing following anorectal surgery in HIV-positive patients has been well reported. This study reviews the incidence of wound complications following laparotomy. The hospital records of all HIV-positive patients who underwent laparotomy at a London teaching hospital over a 10-year period were reviewed and compared to an equal number of matched non-HIV patients. Between April 1986 and April 1996, 64 laparotomies were carried out on 53 patients. There was a significantly greater incidence of wound complications (chi(2) = 12.75, 1 d.f., p = 0.0003) and wound breakdown (chi(2) = 10.45, 1 d.f., p = 0.012) in the HIV group following laparotomy than in the non-HIV control group.