Intraoperative Antibiotic Use in Patients With Early-onset Scoliosis: Current Practices and Trends.

BACKGROUND: Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs) regarding antibiotic prophylaxis in early-onset scoliosis (EOS) patients were published in September 2019. Recommendations included using intravenous cefazolin and topical vancomycin for all index procedures, plus gram-negative coverage for neuromuscular patients. Guideline adherence is unknown. This study aimed to characterize antibiotic prophylaxis at the time of index growth-friendly procedures and assess changes in practice patterns over time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective review of data collected through a multicenter study group included EOS patients undergoing index growth-friendly procedures between January 2018 and March 2021, excluding revisions, lengthenings, and tetherings. Demographics, clinical measurements, intraoperative antibiotics, and 90-day complications were recorded. Descriptive and univariate statistics were utilized. Antibiotic prophylaxis from April 2018 through September 2019 and October 2019 through March 2021 were compared with evaluate change after BPG publication. RESULTS: A total of 562 patients undergoing growth-friendly procedures were included. The most common scoliosis types included neuromuscular (167, 29.7%), syndromic (134, 23.8%), and congenital (97, 17.3%). Most index procedures involved magnetically controlled growing rods (417, 74%) followed by vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib or traditional growing rods (105, 19%). Most patients received cefazolin alone at index procedure (310, 55.2%) or cefazolin with an aminoglycoside (113, 20.1%). Topical antibiotics were used in 327 patients (58.2%), with most receiving vancomycin powder. There was increased use of cefazolin with an aminoglycoside after BPG publication (16% vs. 25%) ( P =0.01). Surgical site infections occurred in 12 patients (2.1%) within 90 days of index procedure, 10 pre-BPGs (3%), and 2 post-BPGs (0.9%), with no significant difference in surgical site infection rate by type of antibiotic administered ( P >0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Historical variability exists regarding antibiotic prophylaxis during index growth-friendly procedures for EOS. There continues to be variability following BPG publication; however, this study found a significant increase in antibiotic prophylaxis against gram-negative bacteria after BPG publication. Overall, greater emphasis is needed to decrease variability in practice, improve compliance with consensus guidelines, and evaluate BPG efficacy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III-retrospective.

Venous Thromboembolism After Pelvic Osteotomy in Adolescent Patients: A Database Study Characterizing Rates and Current Practices.

BACKGROUND: Current risks and practices in medical prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after major elective lower extremity surgeries such as pelvic osteotomies have not been well-defined in the pediatric population. The purpose of this study was to (1) evaluate population rates of VTE in adolescents undergoing pelvic osteotomies, and (2) characterize current practices on types of VTE prophylaxis being utilized after pelvic osteotomies. METHODS: The study evaluated the Pediatric Health Information System database between October 1, 2015 and January 1, 2020 for patients between 10 and 18 years of age meeting selected ICD-10 procedure and diagnosis codes relating to pelvic osteotomies. The rate of VTE was calculated within 90 days of index procedure. Types of pharmacologic prophylaxis were characterized. Continuous variables were compared with 2-sample t tests; proportions and categorical variables were compared with Fisher exact or χ2 tests, all with 2-tailed significance <0.05. RESULTS: Of 1480 included patients, 9 were diagnosed with VTE within 90 days of surgery (VTE rate: 0.61%). Four of 9 (44.4%) had received pharmacologic prophylaxis postoperatively. There were no differences in baseline demographics or length of stay between patients that did or did not develop VTE (P>0.05). Overall, 52.0% received at least one form of pharmacologic prophylaxis postoperatively. The most common pharmacologic prophylaxis used was aspirin (47.6%), of which 64.4% received 81 mg dosing. There was no difference in VTE rates in those with or without prophylaxis (0.52% vs. 0.70%, P=0.75). However, those prescribed prophylaxis were significantly older (15.2±2.3 vs. 13.6±2.4 y, P<0.0001) and had a higher proportion of females (71.8% vs. 54.6%, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The overall rate of VTE in pediatric patients after pelvic osteotomies is non-negligible. There is heterogeneity in the type of anticoagulant utilized; however, VTE prophylaxis is most commonly prescribed in older adolescents and female patients. Guidelines for medical prevention of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in the pediatric population are warranted after hip preservation surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, case series.

Rates of readmission and reoperation following pelvic osteotomy in adolescent patients: a database study evaluating the pediatric health information system.

Rates and reasons for readmission and reoperation following adolescent pelvic osteotomy are not well-defined. This study aimed to (1) determine 30-day and 90-day readmission rates and the 2-year reoperation rate after pelvic osteotomy in adolescents and (2) identify reasons for readmission and reoperation. The Pediatric Health Information System database was queried between 10 January 2015 and 1 January 2020 for patients meeting selected International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) procedure and diagnosis codes relating to pelvic osteotomies. Readmission rates were calculated within 30 and 90 days from index osteotomy. The ipsilateral reoperation rate was calculated within 2 years from index osteotomy. Reasons for these outcomes were identified. Univariate and multivariate analyses were utilized to identify readmission risks. Of 1475 patients, 5.4% and 9.2% were readmitted within 30 and 90 days, respectively. Reasons for readmission were consistent across both time points and included infection, hip-related orthopedic conditions and neurologic conditions. Younger age (OR 0.83, 95% CI: 0.76, 0.89; P < 0.0001) and male sex (OR 1.77, 95% CI: 1.23-2.54; P = 0.002) were predictive of readmission within 90 days. The 2-year reoperation rate was 32.1%, of which 79.8% underwent reoperation for hardware removal, 17.7% for revision and 1.3% for hip replacement. 30-day readmission, 90-day readmission and 2-year reoperation rates after adolescent pelvic osteotomy were 5.4%, 9.2% and 32.1%, respectively. Younger age and male sex were predictive of 90-day readmission. Most ipsilateral reoperations were for hardware removal. Understanding readmission and reoperation risks following pelvic osteotomy can benefit patient counseling and improve expectations of post-surgical outcomes. Level of Evidence: IV, case series.