Surgical Site Infections following Spine Surgery for Non-idiopathic Scoliosis.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSIs) following spine surgery in children and adolescents with nonidiopathic scoliosis are associated with increased morbidity and health care costs. Potentially modifiable risk factors for SSIs merit additional study in this population. METHODS: A single-center, retrospective cohort study was performed from August 2008 through December 2013 in children and adolescents undergoing surgery for nonidiopathic scoliosis to determine the trends in SSI rate and causative microorganisms. A standardized perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis regimen was developed from September-October 2008. Potential risk factors for SSIs were assessed by multivariable analysis using Poisson regression models. Fusion procedures and growing construct procedures were analyzed separately. RESULTS: In all, 268 patients underwent 536 surgical procedures of whom 192 underwent 228 fusion procedures, 89 underwent 308 growing construct procedures, and 13 underwent both procedures during the study period. Twenty-one SSIs (3.9% of surgical procedures and 7.8% of patients) occurred within 90 days of surgery, 17 SSIs occurred after fusion procedures (4.5% of procedures and 8.9% of patients), and 4 SSIs occurred after growing construct procedures (1.3% of procedures and 4.5% of patients). There were 9 polymicrobial SSIs (42.9%). Of the 31 bacterial pathogens isolated, 48% were Gram-negative organisms. Among patients undergoing fusion procedures, SSIs were associated with underdosing of preoperative cefazolin [relative risk (RR)=4.99; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.89-17.43; P=0.012] and tobramycin (RR=5.86; 95% CI, 1.90-18.06; P=0.002), underdosing of intraoperative (RR=5.65; 95% CI, 2.13-14.97; P=0.001) and postoperative (RR=3.86; 95% CI, 1.20-12.40; P=0.023) tobramycin, and any preoperative or intraoperative underdosing (RR=4.89; 95% CI, 1.70-14.12; P=0.003), after adjustment for duration of surgery. No factors were associated with SSIs in those undergoing growing construct procedures. During the study period, the SSIs rate declined (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Underdosing of tobramycin and preoperative cefazolin were associated with an increased SSI risk among patients undergoing fusion procedures. Future multicenter studies should further investigate the generalizability of these findings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II-retrospective study.

Health care-associated infections in children after cardiac surgery.

Few recent studies have assessed the epidemiology of health care-associated infections (HAIs) in the pediatric population after cardiac surgery. A retrospective cohort study was performed to assess the epidemiology of several types of HAIs in children 18 years of age or younger undergoing cardiac surgery from July 2010 to June 2012. Potential pre-, intra-, and postoperative risk factors, including adherence to the perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis regimen at the authors' hospital, were assessed by multivariable analysis using Poisson regression models. Microorganisms associated with HAIs and their susceptibility patterns were described. Overall, 634 surgeries were performed, 38 (6 %) of which were complicated by an HAI occurring within 90 days after surgery. The HAIs included 7 central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), 12 non-CLABSI bacteremias, 6 episodes of early postoperative infective endocarditis (IE), 9 surgical-site infections (SSIs), and 4 ventilator-associated pneumonias (VAPs). Mechanical ventilation (rate ratio [RR] 1.07 per day; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.11; p = 0.0002), postoperative transfusion of blood products (RR 3.12; 95 %, CI 1.38-7.06; p = 0.0062), postoperative steroid use (RR 3.32; 95 % CI 1.56-7.02; p = 0.0018), and continuation of antibiotic prophylaxis longer than 48 h after surgery (RR 2.56; 95 % CI 1.31-5.03; p = 0.0062) were associated with HAIs. Overall, 66.7 % of the pathogens associated with SSIs were susceptible to cefazolin, the perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis used by the authors' hospital. In conclusion, HAIs occurred after 6 % of cardiac surgeries. Bacteremia and CLABSI were the most common. This study identified several potentially modifiable risk factors that suggest interventions. Further studies should assess the role of improving adherence to perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis, the age of transfused red blood cells, and evidence-based guidelines for postoperative steroids.