From basic research to clinical practice: The impact of laminar airflow filters on surgical site infection in vascular surgery.

BACKGROUND: Laminar airflow filters have been suggested as a potential preventive factor for surgical site infections, given their ability to reduce the airborne microbiological load. However, their role is still unclear, and evidence regarding vascular surgery patients is scarce. Our aim was to assess the impact of laminar-airflow filters on surgical site infections. METHODS: This single-centre retrospective cohort study was conducted with vascular surgery patients who underwent arterial vascular intervention through a groin incision between July 2018 and July 2019 (turbulent airflow cohort) and July 2020 and July 2021 (laminar airflow cohort). Data were prospectively collected from electronic medical files. We estimated the cumulative incidence of surgical site infections and its 95% confident interval (95%CI). A propensity score matching analysis was performed. RESULTS: We included 200 patients, 78 in the turbulent airflow cohort and 122 in the laminar airflow cohort. The cumulative incidence was 15.4% (12/78; 95%CI: 9.0-25.0%) in the turbulent-airflow cohort and 14.8% (18/122; 95%CI: 9.5 -22.1%) in the laminar-airflow cohort (p-value: 1.00). The propensity score matching yielded a cumulative incidence of surgical site infection of 13.9% (10/72) with turbulent airflow and 12.5% (9/72) with laminar airflow (p-value: 1.00). Risk factors associated with infection were chronic kidney disease (OR 2.70; 95%CI: 1.14-6.21) and a greater body mass index (OR 1.47; 95%CI: 1.01-2.14). CONCLUSION: Laminar airflow filters were associated with a non-significant reduction of surgical site infections. Further research is needed to determine its usefulness and cost-effectiveness. Surgical site infection incidence was associated with chronic kidney disease and a greater body mass index. Hence, efforts should be made to optimize the body mass index before surgery and prevent chronic kidney disease in patients with known arterial disease.

Are iodophor-impregnated drapes associated with lower intraoperative contamination compared to no adhesive drape?: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most frightening complications after surgery. Adhesive drapes (AD) are widely used as an infection prevention tool. They can be non-impregnated or iodophor-impregnated, although non-impregnated are less used as they might be related to higher number of infections. One of the most common ways to study their efficacy is by analyzing the intraoperative contamination, which is a useful primary endpoint as it does not need follow-up and it has been strongly associated with infections. Therefore, we believe a systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis is needed to determine which is the literature available about this topic and to explore their results. METHODS: All randomized controlled trials (RCT) published since 1984 through to January 15, 2023 will be included. Non-human and experimental studies will be excluded. We will only include studies written in English. We will conduct searches in the following electronic databases: MEDLINE (via PubMed), SCOPUS and Web Of Science. The protocol of the SR was registered in PROSPERO under the number CRD42023391651 and was written according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocol guidelines. DISCUSSION: The evidence regarding the benefits of using iodophor-impregnated adhesive drapes (IIAD) is scarce. Therefore, this SR and meta-analysis is required to determine if they are related with a lower intraoperative contamination incidence, compared to no AD.

Lessons learned in aortoenteric fistula repair: a multidisciplinary team approach and diagnostic-therapeutic algorithm matter.

Aortoenteric fistula (AEF) is a low-prevalence, life-threatening condition regardless of treatment, with a 30-50% postoperative (≤60 days) mortality. This study aimed to estimate our postoperative cumulative mortality incidence and assess the feasibility of the diagnostic-therapeutic algorithm used in our clinical practice. We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients treated for AEF at a fully-equipped tertiary healthcare center between January 2008 and December 2020.

Groin surgical site infection incidence in vascular surgery with intradermal suture versus metallic stapling skin closure: A study protocol for a pragmatic open-label parallel-group randomized clinical trial (VASC-INF trial).

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infection is 1 of the most frightening complications in vascular surgery due to its high morbimortality. The use of intradermal sutures for skin closure might be associated with a reduction in infections incidence. However, the data available in the literature is scarce and primarily built on low-evidence studies. To our knowledge, no multicenter clinical trial has been published to assess if the intradermal suture is associated with a lower surgical site infection incidence than metallic staples in patients who will undergo revascularization surgery requiring a femoral approach. METHODS: VASC-INF is a pragmatic, multicenter, multistate (Spain, Italy, and Greece), randomized, open-label, clinical trial assessing the surgical site infection incidence in patients undergoing revascularization surgery requiring a femoral approach. Patients will be randomized on a 1:1 ratio to intradermal suture closure (experimental group) or to metallic staples closure (control group).The primary outcome is the number (percentage) of patients with surgical site infection (superficial and/or deep) associated with a femoral approach up to 28 (±2) days after surgery. Among the secondary outcomes are the number (percentage) of patients with other surgical wound complications; the number (percentage) of patients with surgical site infections who develop sepsis; type of antibiotic therapy used; type of microorganisms' species isolated and to describe the surgical site infection risk factors. DISCUSSION: Intradermal suture closure may be beneficial in patients undergoing revascularization surgery requiring a femoral approach. Our working hypothesis is that intradermal suture closure reduces the incidence of surgical site infection respect to metallic staples closure.

COVID-19 and aorto-enteric fistula.

We present the case of a 72-year-old male with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. He had been discharged from hospital two weeks before after severe COVID-19 infection, treated with lopinavir-ritonavir (L-R), hydroxychloroquine, tocilizumab, and methylprednisolone. On presentation, he was in hypovolemic shock. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed an ulcer in the third duodenal portion, which was sclerosed and hemodynamic stability was recovered. A scan was performed as it was in an atypical location for ulcers, showing an aortic aneurysm in close relationship to the duodenum, suggesting a primary aortoenteric fistula (PAEF).