Acute Surgical Site Infection Research Articles

Risk-adjusted discrete increases in length of stay by complication following anatomic lung resection: an analysis of 32 133 cases across the USA.

Prior studies have associated morbidity following anatomic lung resection with prolonged postoperative length of stay; however, each complication's individual impact on length of stay as a continuous variable has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk-adjusted increase in length of stay associated with each individual postoperative complications following anatomic lung resection. Patients who underwent anatomic lung resection cataloged in the prospectively collected American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program participant use file, 2005-2018, were targeted. The association between preoperative characteristics, postoperative complications and length of stay in days was tested. A negative binomial model adjusting for the effect of preoperative characteristics and 18 concurrent postoperative complications was used to generate incidence rate ratios. This model was fit to generate risk-adjusted increases in length of stay by complication. Of 32133 patients, 5065 patients (15.8%) experienced at least one post-operative complication. The most frequent complications were pneumonia (n = 1829, 5.7%), the need for transfusion (n = 1794, 5.6%) and unplanned reintubation (n = 1064, 3.3%). The occurrence of each of the 18 individual complications was associated with significantly increased length of stay. This finding persisted after risk-adjustment, with the greatest risk-adjusted increases being associated with prolonged ventilation (+17.4 days), followed by septic shock (+17.2 days), acute renal failure (+16.5 days) and deep surgical site infection (+13.2 days). All 18 postoperative complications studied following anatomic lung resection were associated with significant risk-adjusted increases in length of stay, ranging from an increase of 17.4 days with prolonged ventilation to 2.6 days following the need for transfusion.

Association of modic changes and postoperative surgical site infection after posterior lumbar spinal fusion.

Postoperative surgical site infection is one of the most serious complications following spine surgery. Previous studies have reported Modic changes (MC) represent a subclinical infection. This study aims to investigate the relation between Modic changes and surgical site infection after posterior lumbar fusion surgery. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 424 patients who received posterior lumbar fusion. Preoperative clinical and radiological parameters were recorded. Primary outcome was the rate of postoperative surgical site infection. Covariates included age, body mass index (BMI), sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic heart failure, Pfirrmann classification, fused levels, and operation duration. The presence of Modic changes was used as an exposition variable, and adjusted for other risk factors in multivariate analyses. Of the 424 patients, 30 (7%) developed an acute surgical site infection. Infection had no relation to age, sex, BMI, and comorbidities. There were 212 (50%) patients with MC, and 23 (10.8%) had a surgical site infection, compared to 212 (50%) patients without MC in which there were 7 (3.3%) surgical site infections. MC was associated with surgical site infection in univariate analysis (odds ratio [OR] = 3.56, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.49-8.50, p = 0.004) and multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR = 3.05, 95% CI: 1.26-7.37, p = 0.013). There was statistically significant between specific type (p = 0.035) and grade of MCs (p = 0.0187) and SSI. MCs may be a potential risk factor for SSI following posterior lumbar spinal intervertebral fusion. Type I and grade C MCs showed a higher infection rate compared with other MC types and grades.

Granulicatella adiacens: An uncommon pathogen in prosthetic joint infections

Granulicatella adiacens is an uncommon culprit in prosthetic joint infections, especially when predisposing factors are absent. Here, we present the case of a 78-year-old female who developed an acute surgical site infection shortly after undergoing left total knee arthroplasty. Despite initial negative cultures, subsequent analysis identified Granulicatella adiacens in the knee fluid, marking only the second reported instance in the United States and the seventh globally. This singular case highlights the considerable challenges associated with isolating this organism, emphasizing its atypical presentation and diagnostic elusiveness. Typically associated with endocarditis and bacteremia, its involvement in isolated surgical site infections is particularly unusual. Our case underscores the necessity for heightened clinical suspicion and the adoption of specialized diagnostic methodologies to accurately detect Granulicatella adiacens infections. Given its fastidious nature and nutritional requirements, standard culture methods may fail to identify this pathogen, necessitating alternative diagnostic approaches. As such, the utilization of specialized media becomes paramount in clinical diagnostics to facilitate appropriate management and optimize healthcare resource allocation. By enhancing our ability to detect and treat infections caused by Granulicatella adiacens, we can mitigate patient morbidity and reduce the burden of unnecessary interventions, thereby improving patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency.

The effect of antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate beads and Medical Optimization Clinic attendance on the acute surgical site infection rate in high-risk pediatric neuromuscular and syndromic scoliosis patients.

Neuromuscular and syndromic (NMS) scoliosis patients are at higher risk of acute surgical site infections (SSIs). Despite following POSNA's endorsed consensus-based guidelines for SSI prevention, our institutional rates of acute SSI have varied dramatically. This variability drove simultaneous strategies to lower SSI rates: the creation of a preoperative Medical Optimization Clinic (MOC) and use of antibiotic-impregnated (Abx-I) calcium sulfate beads. Patients undergoing index PSF at a single institution between 2016 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with ≥ 2 risk factors were included: (1) BMI < 18.5 or > 25; (2) incontinence; (3) instrumentation to pelvis; (4) non-verbal; (5) GMFCS IV/V. SSI was defined as deep infection within 90days. We compared patients who attended MOC and received Abx-I (MOC + Abx-I) to those receiving neither intervention (control) nor a single intervention. 282 patients were included. The overall infection rate was 4.26%. Higher GMFCS (p = 0.0147), non-verbal status (p = 0.0048), and longer fusions (p = 0.0298) were independently associated with infection rate. Despite the MOC + Abx-I group having larger Cobb angles (88° ± 26°), higher GMFCS levels (4.5 ± 0.9), ASA class (3 ± 0.4), and more frequent instrumentation to the pelvis (85%), they had the lowest infection rate (2.13%) when compared to the control (4.2%) or single intervention groups (5.7%, 4.6%) (p = 0.9). The study examined the modern infection rate of NMS patients following the implementation of two interventions: MOC and Abx-I. Despite having higher risk factors (curves (88°), GMFCS level (4.5), ASA class (3), higher % instrumentation to the pelvis (85%)), the patients treated with both interventions demonstrated the lowest infection rate (2.13%).

Intrawound Vancomycin Powder Reduces Delayed Deep Surgical Site Infections Following Posterior Spinal Fusion for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Retrospective. Evaluate whether the use of vancomycin powder (VP) placed in the surgical site prior to wound closure prevents delayed deep surgical site infections (DDI). DDI after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients remains a significant major complication. The use of VP to prevent acute surgical site infection has been reported but the impact on DDI is unknown. AIS patients treated over the past 20 years with PSF/instrumentation from a large muti-center registry were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups: intraoperative vancomycin powder placed in the wound (VP) or no antibiotics placed in the wound (NVP). DDI was defined as an infection that occurred >90 days after surgery and required surgical intervention in the operating room. Patients who developed a DDI had secondary verification of VP use or not. Chi square and Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survivorship analyses were used to compare demographics and incident rate of DDI between groups. 4145 cases met inclusion for this study. A total of 43 DDI cases were identified (1.0%). The incidence of DDI for the VP group was 0.2% (4/2111), and 1.9% (39/2034) in the NVP group (P<0.001). Given the difference in follow-up for the 2 groups a Cumulative Survival and Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed the VP group had significantly better "survival" (no DDI) than the NVP group (P<0.001). DDIs are significant, adverse events that can greatly complicate patient recovery after PSF for AIS, including rehospitalization. This study found that patients who received VP intraoperatively were 10 times less likely to develop a DDI than those who did not receive VP. Although other advances/changes in surgical techniques may contribute to the significant decrease in infections found in the more recent VP cohort, VP should be considered as a prophylactic measure.

Preoperative Serum Albumin as Predictor of Outcomes After Thyroidectomy.

Albumin is considered to be a surrogate marker for inflammation and nutritional status. Levels usually decrease after surgery but little is known about the predictive value of preoperative albumin levels in patients undergoing thyroidectomy. This study aimed to investigate the 30-day incidence of postoperative outcomes in thyroidectomy patients with and without preoperative hypoalbuminemia. Retrospective cohort study. TriNetX Database. TriNetX, a federated deidentified database, was retrospectively queried to identify patients who underwent thyroidectomy. Postoperative outcomes within 30 days of thyroidectomy, based on International Classification of Disease, 10th Revision and Current Procedural Terminology codes, in patients with preoperative hypoalbuminemia (≤3.4 g/dL) (cohort 1) were analyzed and compared to patients without hypoalbuminemia (cohort 2). After propensity score matching, 2398 patients were identified in each cohort. Hypoalbuminemia patients were more likely to have postoperative pneumonia (odds ratio, OR: 3.472, 95% confidence interval, CI [2.016-5.978]), acute renal failure (OR: 3.872, 95% CI [2.412-6.217]), venous thromboembolism (OR: 1.766, 95% CI[1.016-2.819]), and surgical site infection (OR: 2.353, 95% CI [1.282-4.32]). Rates of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury were comparable between cohorts. Patients undergoing thyroidectomy with preoperative hypoalbuminemia have a higher prevalence of postoperative complications compared to patients without preoperative hypoalbuminemia. While not routinely assessed, preoperative evaluation of serum albumin levels may help guide expectations and optimal management of thyroidectomy patients.

Bacteriological Profile of Patients Suffering from Acute Versus Chronic Port Site Infection at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Surgical (port) site infections can complicate the course of recovery in a surgical patient. It is important to know the spectrum of organisms and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern for targeted treatment of SSI. Objective: To determine bacteriological profile of patients suffering from acute and chronic surgical (port) site infection (SSI). Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was held at CMH, Rawalpindi from May-Dec 2022 which included the patients who had elective laparoscopic surgery and eventually developed acute or chronic surgical-site infection. Bacteriologic profile of both acute and chronic surgical-site infections was assessed along with their sensitivity to various commonly used antibiotics. Data was analyzed by statistical package for social sciences 21. Results: A total of 526 patients had elective laparoscopic surgical procedures during study period amongst which 60 patients (11.40%) developed SSI which were included in the study. Amongst these 60 patients, 39 (65.00%) were male and 21 (35.00%) were females with a mean age of 34.31 ± 8.93years. Acute SSI occurred in 38 (63.30%) while 22 (36.70%) were found to have chronic SSI. In cases of acute SSI, Staphylococcus aureus while in chronic SSI cases, Mycobacterium fortuitum was common. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found in both types of SSI. Conclusion: Overall frequency of SSI was 11.40%. In acute SSI, Staphylococcus aureus was the main culprit while in chronic SSI, Mycobacterium fortuitum was found to be the major pathogen.

Outcomes of Surgically Treated Pilon Fractures: A Comparison of Patients with and without Diabetes.

Compare systemic complications, fracture healing related complications, and reoperation rates for pilon fractures in patients with and without diabetes. Retrospective cohort study. National administrative claims database with patient records. Patients from the years 2016 to 2020 with surgically treated closed or open pilon fractures. Patients with either closed or open pilon fractures with diabetes were compared to those without diabetes. Subgroup analysis was performed on diabetic patients with and without neuropathy. Postoperative systemic complications at 90 days, fracture healing complications at 90 days and 1 year, and reoperative rates at 90 days and 1 year. 2,654 (31.4%) patients with closed fractures and 491 (28.7%) patients with open fractures had a diagnosis of diabetes. In both open and closed fractures, we identified significantly higher rates of acute kidney injury, cardiac arrest, and surgical site infection in diabetic patients compared to non-diabetic patients. Additionally, we found significantly higher rates of below knee amputations in diabetic patients. Diabetic patients with closed fractures had significantly higher rates of wound healing related reoperations. Patients with advanced diabetic disease, as suggested by the presence of neuropathy, had higher rates of nonunions and post-traumatic arthritis. The data presented here provides updated estimates on complication rates in pilon fractures using large sample size. Additionally, our work identifies differences in outcomes for patients with and without diabetes following pilon fracture surgery. Our data suggests that patients with severe diabetes are prone to higher rates of healing complications and may benefit from additional therapeutic support. Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

P-suPAR may reflect the inflammatory response after pancreatic surgery

BackgroundSeveral different scoring systems have been developed to predict post-pancreatectomy complications. Currently used inflammatory markers are of only limited value in predicting complications after pancreatic surgery. Plasma soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (P-suPAR) is a prognostic biomarker associated with different inflammatory conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate P-suPAR levels before and after pancreatic surgery. MethodsOne hundred and seventy-six patients evaluated for pancreatic surgery due to suspected malignant or premalignant lesion were recruited for this study at Tampere University Hospital between 2016 and 2021. P-suPAR was analyzed before the planned operation and on postoperative days (PODs) one and three. ResultsOne hundred and thirty-three patients [median age 67 (range 33–84) years, 50 % male] underwent a pancreatic surgery procedure. Compared to preoperative values [median 3.7 (IQR 3.1–4.7) ng/mL], P-suPAR was significantly lower on PODs 1 [3.2 (2.5–3.9) ng/mL; p < 0.001] and 3 [3.2 (2.7–4.1) ng/mL; p < 0.001]. P-suPAR on POD 1 was significantly lower in patients with postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) [2.6 (2.1–3.4) ng/mL] than in patients with no POPF [3.2 (2.6–3.8) ng/mL; p = 0.007]. Similar decreases in P-suPAR values were seen in patients with postoperative acute pancreatitis (POAP) and surgical site infection (SSI). ConclusionsAfter pancreatic surgery, P-suPAR level on POD 1 is significantly lower in patients with POPF, POAP or SSI. P-suPAR is decreased after pancreatic resection in all patients. This type of postoperative P-suPAR profile has not previously been described, and may reflect the compensatory anti-inflammatory reaction following the initial systemic inflammatory reaction caused by surgical trauma.

Nationwide Analysis of Firearm Injury Versus Other Penetrating Trauma: It's Not All the Same Caliber

IntroductionBallistic injuries cause both a temporary and permanent cavitation event, making them far more destructive and complex than other penetrating trauma. We hypothesized that global injury scoring and physiologic parameters would fail to capture the lethality of gunshot wounds (GSW) compared to other penetrating mechanisms. MethodsThe 2019 American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Programs participant use file was queried for the mortality rate for GSW and other penetrating mechanisms. A binomial logistic regression model ascertained the effects of sex, age, hypotension, tachycardia, mechanism, Glasgow Coma Scale, ISS, and volume of blood transfusion on the likelihood of mortality. Subgroup analyses examined isolated injuries by body regions. ResultsAmong 95,458 cases (82% male), GSW comprised 46.4% of penetrating traumas. GSW was associated with longer hospital length of stay (4 [2-9] versus 3 [2-5] days), longer intensive care unit length of stay (3 [2-6] versus 2 [2-4] days), and more ventilator days (2 [1-4] versus 2 [1-3]) compared to stab wounds, all P < 0.001. The model determined that GSW was linked to increased odds of mortality compared to stab wounds (odds ratio 4.19, 95% confidence interval 3.55-4.93). GSW was an independent risk factor for acute kidney injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, venous thromboembolism, sepsis, and surgical site infection. ConclusionsInjury scoring systems based on anatomical or physiological derangements fail to capture the lethality of GSW compared to other mechanisms of penetrating injury. Adjustments in risk stratification and reporting are necessary to reflect the proportion of GSW seen at each trauma center. Improved classification may help providers develop quality processes of care. This information may also help shape public discourse on this highly lethal mechanism.

A temporal analysis of perioperative complications following COVID-19 infection in patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion: When is it safe to proceed?

Background ContextCOVID-19 has been shown to adversely affect multiple organ systems, yet little is known about its effect on perioperative complications after spine surgery or the optimal timing of surgery after an infection. We used the NIH National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) database to characterize the risk profile in patients undergoing spine surgery during multiple time windows following COVID-19 infection. MethodsWe queried the National COVID Cohort Collaborative, a database of 17.4 million persons with 6.9 million COVID-19 cases, for patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery. Patients were stratified into those with an initial documented COVID-19 infection within 3 time periods: 0 to 2 weeks, 2 to 6 weeks, or 6 to 12 weeks before surgery. ResultsA total of 60,541 patients who underwent lumbar spinal fusion procedures were included. Patients who underwent surgery within 2 weeks of their COVID-19 diagnosis had a significantly increased risk for venous thromboembolic events (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.58–3.32), sepsis (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.03–2.36), 30-day mortality (OR 5.55, 95% CI 3.53–8.71), and 1-year mortality (OR 2.70, 95% CI 1.91–3.82) compared with patients who were COVID negative during the same period. There was no significant difference in the rates of acute kidney injury or surgical site infection. Patients undergoing surgery between 2 and 6 weeks or between 6 and 12 weeks from the date of COVID-19 infection did not show significantly elevated rates of any complication analyzed. ConclusionsPatients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion within 2 weeks from initial COVID-19 diagnosis are at increased risk for perioperative venous thromboembolic events and sepsis. This effect does not persist beyond 2 weeks, however, so it may be warranted to postpone non-urgent spine surgeries for at least 2 weeks following a COVID-19 infection or to consider a more aggressive VTE chemoprophylaxis regimen for urgent surgery in COVID-19 patients.

Is Topical Vancomycin an Option? A Randomized Controlled Trial to Determine the Safety of the Topical Use of Vancomycin Powder in Preventing Postoperative Infections in Total Knee Arthroplasty, as Compared With Standard Postoperative Antibiotics

BackgroundThe demand for total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) is expected to rise in the coming decades, increasing the burden of periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs). The use of intrawound vancomycin powder (VP) has proven to be effective in reducing the incidence of PJIs after spinal surgery. That said, its effectiveness in TKA remains unclear. This trial aims to examine the efficacy of intrawound vancomycin powder first versus standard postoperative antibiotics in preventing PJIs after TKA. MethodsThis study was a double-blinded, noninferiority, randomized controlled trial. All participants received standard preoperative intravenous (IV) antibiotics (Cefazolin/Vancomycin) within 60 minutes of skin incision. Patients in the treatment group received 1 gram of VP applied intraoperatively by the orthopedic surgeon (500 mg directly on the prosthesis, 500 mg above the closed joint capsule). These patients did not receive postoperative antibiotics. Patients in the control group received standard postoperative IV antibiotics. The primary outcome was the incidence of acute surgical site infection within 42 days of procedure. ResultsThere were 80 patients randomized to the treatment group and 85 patients randomized to the control. Groups were matched with respect to baseline characteristics, including average age (66 versus 64), BMI (35.7 versus 33.4), and diabetics (16 versus 13). The trial was halted at 1 year as a significantly greater proportion (P = .03) of patients in the treatment group (n = 3, 3.75%) were diagnosed with PJIs compared to the control (n = 0). ConclusionOur trial demonstrated the intrawound application of VP to be inferior to standard postoperative IV antibiotics in reducing the incidence of PJIs after TKA.

Perioperative Outcomes in Patients Who Underwent Fibula, Osteocutaneous Radial Forearm, and Scapula Free Flaps

Studies comparing perioperative outcomes of fibula free flaps (FFFs), osteocutaneous radial forearm free flaps (OCRFFFs), and scapula free flaps (SFFs) have been limited by insufficient sample size. To compare the perioperative outcomes of patients who underwent FFFs, OCRFFFs, and SFFs. This cohort study assessed the outcomes of 1022 patients who underwent FFFs, OCRFFFs, or SFFs for head and neck reconstruction performed at 1 of 6 academic medical centers between January 2005 and December 2019. Data were analyzed from September 17, 2021, to June 9, 2022. Patients were stratified based on the flap performed. Evaluated perioperative outcomes included complications (overall acute wound complications, acute surgical site infection [SSI], fistula, hematoma, and flap failure), 30-day readmissions, operative time, and prolonged hospital length of stay (75th percentile, &gt;13 days). Patients were excluded if data on flap type or clinical demographic characteristics were missing. Associations between flap type and perioperative outcomes were analyzed using logistic regression, after controlling for other clinically relevant variables. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% CIs were generated. Perioperative outcomes of 1022 patients (mean [SD] age, 60.7 [14.5] years; 676 [66.1%] men) who underwent major osseous head and neck reconstruction were analyzed; 510 FFFs (49.9%), 376 OCRFFFs (36.8%), and 136 SFFs (13.3%) were performed. Median (IQR) operative time differed among flap types (OCRFFF, 527 [467-591] minutes; FFF, 592 [507-714] minutes; SFF, 691 [610-816] minutes). When controlling for SSI, FFFs (aOR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.36-4.51) and SFFs (aOR, 2.95; 95% CI, 1.37-6.34) were associated with a higher risk of flap loss than OCRFFFs. Compared with OCRFFFs, FFFs (aOR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.07-2.91) were associated with a greater risk of fistula after controlling for the number of bone segments and SSI. Both FFFs (aOR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.27-2.46) and SFFs (aOR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.05-2.69) were associated with an increased risk of 30-day readmission compared with OCRFFFs after controlling for Charlson-Deyo comorbidity score and acute wound complications. Compared with OCRFFFs, FFFs (aOR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.25-2.54) and SFFs (aOR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.22-3.13) were associated with a higher risk of prolonged hospital length of stay after controlling for age and flap loss. Findings of this cohort study suggest that perioperative outcomes associated with OCRFFFs compare favorably with those of FFFs and SFFs, with shorter operative times and lower rates of flap loss, 30-day readmissions, and prolonged hospital length of stay. However, patients undergoing SFFs represented a more medically and surgically complex population than those undergoing OCRFFFs or FFFs.

Best Practice Guidelines for Surgical Site Infection in High-risk Pediatric Spine Surgery: Definition, Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Prior "best practice guidelines" (BPG) have identified strategies to reduce the risk of acute deep surgical site infection (SSI), but there still exists large variability in practice. Further, there is still no consensus on which patients are "high risk" for SSI and how SSI should be diagnosed or treated in pediatric spine surgery. We sought to develop an updated, consensus-based BPG informed by available literature and expert opinion on defining high-SSI risk in pediatric spine surgery and on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of SSI in this high-risk population. After a systematic review of the literature, an expert panel of 21 pediatric spine surgeons was selected from the Harms Study Group based on extensive experience in the field of pediatric spine surgery. Using the Delphi process and iterative survey rounds, the expert panel was surveyed for current practices, presented with the systematic review, given the opportunity to voice opinions through a live discussion session and asked to vote regarding preferences privately. Two survey rounds were conducted electronically, after which a live conference was held to present and discuss results. A final electronic survey was then conducted for final voting. Agreement ≥70% was considered consensus. Items near consensus were revised if feasible to achieve consensus in subsequent surveys. Consensus was reached for 17 items for defining high-SSI risk, 17 items for preventing, 6 for diagnosing, and 9 for treating SSI in this high-risk population. After final voting, all 21 experts agreed to the publication and implementation of these items in their practice. We present a set of updated consensus-based BPGs for defining high-risk and preventing, diagnosing, and treating SSI in high-risk pediatric spine surgery. We believe that this BPG can limit variability in practice and decrease the incidence of SSI in pediatric spine surgery. Not applicable.

176. The long-term outcomes of patients with early surgical site infections following instrumented lumbar fusions

176. The long-term outcomes of patients with early surgical site infections following instrumented lumbar fusions

Vancomycin lavage for the incidence of acute surgical site infection following primary total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUNDSurgical site infection is a rare but serious complication associated with total joint arthroplasty (TJA). There are limited data on the effectiveness of intrawound irrigation with vancomycin solution (1000 mg/L; 2 L) before wound closure for preventing acute surgical site infection following primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA).AIMTo investigate the effectiveness of prophylactic intraoperative application of vancomycin (1000 mg/L; 2 L) solution vs. plain irrigation in reducing the incidence of acute surgical site infection following primary THA and TKA.METHODSA retrospective review of 2725 consecutive patients undergoing THA or TKA from January 2012–December 2019 was performed. These patients received either intrawound irrigation with normal saline before wound closure between January 2012 and December 2015 (group 1, 1018 patients; 453 undergoing THA and 565 undergoing TKA) or intrawound irrigation with vancomycin solution (1000 mg/L) before wound closure between January 2016 and December 2019 (group 2, 1175 patients; 512 undergoing THA and 663 undergoing TKA). The outcomes were the incidences of postoperative surgical site infection and wound healing complications within 3 mo of primary TJA.RESULTSThere were no significant demographic differences between the 2 groups. There was a significantly higher incidence of acute infection at the surgical site in patients who received intrawound irrigation with normal saline before wound closure than in those who received intrawound irrigation with vancomycin solution (1000 mg/L; 2 L) before wound closure (overall incidence of infection: group 1, 2.46% vs group 2, 0.09%, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the incidence of wound healing complications between the two groups.CONCLUSIONProphylactic irrigation with vancomycin solution (1000 mg/L; 2 L) significantly decreases the incidence of acute surgical site infection after primary TJA. This strategy is a safe, efficacious, and inexpensive method for reducing the incidence of acute surgical site infection after TJA.

Hypospadias in toddlers: a multivariable study of prognostic factors in distal to mid-shaft hypospadias and review of literature.

Tubularized incised plate urethroplasty is the most common hypospadias repair technique. However, there are unanswered questions and debates about the anatomical prognostic factors affecting the repair outcomes. This study tried to address some of the problems in the studies compromising the results of the current body of literature. A prospective cohort of 101 males aged 1-3 years undergoing primary distal to mid-shaft hypospadias repair were enrolled in the study. Complications including edema, erection, inadvertent removal of the urethral stent, surgical wound infection, bladder spasm, hematoma, and hemorrhage were evaluated. Studies in the current literature were reviewed to achieve a better perspective for future investigations. Persistent complications were found in 16 cases (15.8%) including fistula formation, the persistence of chordee, meatal stenosis, glans, and urethral dehiscence. The mean follow-up time was 6.6±3.4 months. In the single-variable analysis, the meatal location, the length and width of the urethral plate, and the reversible acute postoperative events were significantly associated with the complications. Furthermore, fistula formation was associated with acute surgical site infection (p<0.001). However, the multivariable regression study revealed the presurgical meatal location to be the only statistically significant factor (p=0.03). Notably, the glans diameter or glanular groove shape, urethral plate dimensions, or presence of mild chordee were not independently associated with the outcomes (p>0.05). Our study on the toddlers with hypospadias surgery revealed that the location of urethral meatal was the main predicting factor in the development of major complications. Furthermore, the fistula formation at the infected surgical site emphasizes the importance of postsurgical care.

Acute surgical site infection after total knee arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis versus osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the main cause for total knee arthroplasty (TKA), followed by rheumatoid arthritis. Previous studies have reported conflicting results concerning the risk of surgical site infection after TKA for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients. Thus, this study aimed to examine whether rheumatoid arthritis patients had a higher risk of acute surgical site infection after TKA compared to osteoarthritis patients. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database of the whole population from 2012 to 2015, and collected the medical records of osteoarthritis patients or rheumatoid arthritis patients who underwent TKA. To evaluate the risk of acute surgical site infection in rheumatoid arthritis patients, propensity score matching was implemented for osteoarthritis patients. Acute surgical site infection was observed in 2.58% of TKA cases in rheumatoid arthritis patients and 2.66% of TKA cases in osteoarthritis patients. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients had comparable risk for 90-day (odds ratio = 0.81, 95% confidence interval: 0.371–1.768) and 1-year (odds ratio = 0.463, 95% confidence interval: 0.121–1.766) surgical site infection. In conclusion, patients with rheumatoid arthritis were not at higher risk of acute surgical site infection after TKA compared to osteoarthritis patients. The current treatment strategy for patients with RA is safe and appropriate if they require TKA.

Complications from ankle arthrodesis in diabetes-related Charcot foot syndrome

IntroductionCharcot neuroarthropathy (CN) is an inflammatory arthropathy associated with bony destruction, dislocation, and deformity in patients with neuropathy. Surgical procedures involving foot and ankle in CN for deformity correction have been shown to result in high rate of complications. The purpose of this study was to compare post-operative outcomes and assess odds of complication after ankle arthrodesis among patients with diabetes-related Charcot neuroarthropathy, non-Charcot patients with diabetes, and non-Charcot patients without diabetes. MethodsThe PearlDiver Patient Records Database was queried for patients who underwent ankle fusion and maintained at least one year of post-operative follow-up. The following post-operative complications were assessed among groups: overall nonunion and amputation, one-year nonunion, amputation, and hardware removal, 90-day and 30-day surgical site infection, dehiscence, acute kidney injury, and pneumonia, and 90-day myocardial infarction and deep vein thrombosis. The odds and prevalence of each complication for each group were assessed and compared. ResultsHigher rates of amputation (OR 3.43, CI 2.89–4.06), hardware removal (OR 1.63, CI 1.45–1.83), wound dehiscence (OR 1.75, CI 1.44–2.13), acute kidney injury (OR 2.87, CI 2.32–3.54), pneumonia (OR 1.53, CI 1.13–2.07), and surgical site infection (OR 2.46, CI 2.12–2.85), were observed in patients with diabetes-related CN compared to non-Charcot patients with diabetes. In patients without CN, higher rates of nonunion (OR 1.38, CI 1.19–1.61), amputation (OR 2.26, CI 1.74–2.93), surgical site infection (OR 1.57, CI 1.30–1.90), and acute kidney injury (OR 1.57, CI 1.18–2.09) were observed in patients with diabetes compared to patients without diabetes. Time to hardware removal was significantly shorter in diabetes-related Charcot patients compared to non-Charcot patients without diabetes (368.0 ± 446.7 vs 438.5 ± 487.5 days, P < 0.001). ConclusionPatients with diabetes demonstrated increased odds of nonunion, amputation, surgical site infection, and acute kidney injury compared to patients without diabetes. In the population of patients with diabetes, odds of most of these complications were further increased with the addition of Charcot diagnosis compared to patients without diabetes. Other local and multisystemic medical conditions, including pneumonia and wound dehiscence, also demonstrated increased odds in patients of CN.Level of evidence: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Risk Factors for Acute Surgical Site Infection after Spinal Instrumentation Procedures: A Case-Control Study.

Surgical site infection (SSI) prevalence in spinal instrumentation varies, depending on patient and surgery factors. This study aims to identify patient- and procedure-related factors associated with SSI after spinal instrumentation in 3 patient-specific groups: those undergoing surgery for degenerative, trauma-related, and pediatric deformity conditions. A case-control (1:2 ratio) analysis of SSI after spinal instrumentation, from 2009 to 2017, in a University Hospital and Spinal Trauma Centre was performed. From a total of 2582 surgeries, 33 cases (1.3%) were identified with SSI according to study inclusion criteria: 14 (out of 1326) in the degenerative group, 11 (out of 207) in the trauma group, and 8 (out of 850) in the pediatric deformity group. Cases were matched with controls (n = 66) of the same group. Univariate analysis identified procedure and anesthesia duration in the degenerative group (P = .032 and .038, respectively), age (P = .014) and need for intraoperative and postoperative blood transfusions (both P = .039) in the trauma group and American Society of Anesthesiologists score (P = .022) and neuromuscular scoliosis (P = .002) in the pediatric deformity group as associated with SSI. After multivariate analysis, procedure duration was independently associated with SSI in degenerative surgery (odds ratio [OR], 2.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-4.82) and procedure duration (OR, 3.79; 95% CI, 1.27-11.32) and number of levels instrumented (OR, 11.77; 95% CI, 1.55-89.40) in the trauma group. This study identified procedure duration as a risk factor for SSI after spinal instrumentation in degenerative and trauma spine surgery and the number of levels instrumented in trauma spine surgery. Awareness of these factors will help develop strategies to improve patient and health system overall outcomes.