Incidence of surgical site infections after cervical spine surgery: results of a single-center cohort study adhering to multimodal preventive wound control protocol.

PURPOSE: The incidence of surgical site infections is considered a relevant indicator of perioperative and postoperative care quality. The aim of this study is to analyze and evaluate SSIs after elective cervical spine surgery under the guidance of our preventive multimodal wound protocol. METHODS: A monocentric observational cohort study analyzed 797 patients who underwent cervical spine surgery from 2005 to 2010 (mean age 51.58 ± 11.74 year, male 56.09%, mean BMI 26.87 ± 4.41, ASA score 1-2 in 81.68% of patients), fulfilling the entry criteria: (1) cervical spine surgery performed by neurosurgeons (degenerative disease 85.19%, trauma 11.04%, tumor 3.76%), (2) elective surgery, (3) postoperative care in our neurointensive care unit. Our preventive wound control protocol management focused mainly on antibiotic prophylaxis, wound hygiene regime, and drainage equipment. All wound complications and surgical site infections were monitored up for 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: We had only 2 (0.25%) patients with SSI after cervical spine surgery-one organ/space infection (osteomyelitis, primary due to liquorrhea) after anterior surgical approach, and one deep surgical site infection (due to dehiscence) after posterior approach. We had 17 (2.13%) patients with some wound complications (secretion 7, dehiscence 4, hematoma 1, edema 3, and liquorrhea 2) that were not classified as SSI according to the CDC guidelines. CONCLUSION: Concerning our study population of patients undergoing elective cervical surgery, with ASA scores 1-2 in 81.68% of our patients, the incidence of SSI was 0.14% after anterior surgical approach, 1.4% after posterior surgical approach, and 0.25% altogether in the referred cohort.

Risk factors associated with surgical site infections after thoracic or lumbar surgery: a 6-year single centre prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infection (SSI) is a risk in every operation. Infections negatively impact patient morbidity and mortality and increase financial demands. The aim of this study was to analyse SSI and its risk factors in patients after thoracic or lumbar spine surgery. METHODS: A six-year single-centre prospective observational cohort study monitored the incidence of SSI in 274 patients who received planned thoracic or lumbar spinal surgery for degenerative disease, trauma, or tumour. They were monitored for up to 30 days postoperatively and again after 1 year. All patients received short antibiotic prophylaxis and stayed in the eight-bed neurointensive care unit (NICU) during the immediate postoperative period. Risk factors for SSI were sought using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: We recorded 22 incidences of SSI (8.03%; superficial 5.84%, deep 1.82%, and organ 0.36%). Comparing patients with and without SSI, there were no differences in age (p=0.374), gender (p=0.545), body mass index (p=0.878), spine diagnosis (p=0.745), number of vertebrae (p=0.786), spine localization (p=0.808), implant use (p=0.428), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Score (p=0.752), urine catheterization (p=0.423), drainage (p=0.498), corticosteroid use (p=0.409), transfusion (p=0.262), ulcer prophylaxis (p=0.409) and diabetes mellitus (p=0.811). The SSI group had longer NICU stays (p=0.043) and more non-infectious hospital wound complications (p<0.001). SSI risk factors according to our multivariate logistic regression analysis were hospital wound complications (OR 20.40, 95% CI 7.32-56.85, p<0.001) and warm season (OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.03-8.27, p=0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to the prevailing literature, our study did not identify corticosteroids, diabetes mellitus, or transfusions as risk factors for the development of SSI. Only wound complications and warm seasons were significantly associated with SSI development according to our multivariate regression analysis.