Predictors Of Postoperative Infection Research Articles

HbA1c as a Predictor of Postoperative Infection in Type 2 Diabetic Patients after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of morbimortality worldwide. In patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2), CAD is more likely to be a complex disease and often requires cardiac surgery. Furthermore, perioperative blood glucoselevels control is associated with the following outcomes: surgery success, mortality, and infection postoperative. This is a retrospective study, we have collected data form, 43 patients, between 2015 and 2017, with diabetes type 2 and who had passed through a Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting. Those with infection postoperative had a glycohemoglobin 7,9 (SD ±1,4), and those without infection had an HbA1c 7,25 (SD ±0,94) and a p-value from 0,039. Adding this was identified that the average of creatinine clearance in patients with the infectious disease was 59 (SD ±21,3) and 67(SD ±26)in those without infection, calculated a p-value from 0,039. High levels of Hb1Ac are a predictor of infection disease postoperative.

Procalcitonin and Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio After Spinal Instrumentation Surgery.

This was a retrospective observational study. To assess the diagnostic value of procalcitonin (PCT) and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for predicting surgical site infection (SSI) in patients undergoing spinal instrumentation surgery, we analyzed a large consecutive cohort of patients who had undergone spinal instrumentation surgery. Although PCT and NLR are commonly used as markers for bacterial infection, the diagnostic value of these factors for predicting SSI in the context of spinal instrumentation surgery has not been extensively investigated. We retrospectively investigated 242 patients who underwent spinal instrumentation surgery and evaluated the significance of various postoperative measures for predicting SSI, including PCT and NLR. We then determined the diagnostic cut-off values for these markers in the prediction of SSI using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Among the 242 patients analyzed, 10 were diagnosed with infection. Even though univariate analysis showed that neutrophil percentage and NLR at 6 to 7 days postoperatively were significant predictors for SSI, PCT at 6 to 7 days postoperatively did not differ significantly between the SSI and non-SSI groups. The cut-off value used for neutrophil percentage at 6 to 7 days postoperatively was more than 69.0% [sensitivity, 80.0%; specificity, 70.0%; area under the curve, 0.737]. The cut-off value used for NLR at 6 to 7 days postoperatively was 3.87 (sensitivity, 70.0%; specificity, 73.2%; area under the curve, 0.688). Neutrophil percentage and NLR at 6 to 7 days postoperatively were more useful markers than PCT at 6 to 7 days postoperatively for early prediction of SSI in patients who had undergone spinal instrumentation surgery. Therefore, routine use of PCT as a predictor of postoperative infection is not supported by the results of this study. 4.

Steroids in cardiac surgery trial: a substudy of surgical site infections.

Postoperative infection, particularly in cardiac surgery, results in significant morbidity, mortality, and healthcare cost. Identification of novel predictors of postoperative infection can target high-risk populations for prophylactic intervention. Steroids in cardiac surgery (SIRS) was a multi-centre randomized-controlled trial assessing intraoperative administration of methylprednisone during cardiac surgery, which enrolled 7,507 patients across 80 centres in 18 countries. It demonstrated that administration of steroids had no effect on mortality or major morbidity after cardiac surgery. Our primary objective was to identify risk factors for postoperative surgical site infections using SIRS participants as a cohort. We excluded patients who did not undergo surgery, died intraoperatively, or died within 48 hr of the operation. Patients were assessed for development of "surgical site infection" over the first 30 days postoperatively. Using theoretical and previously identified risk factors, we used forward stepwise entry to create a binary logistic regression model. Follow-up at 30 days was complete for all patients; 7,406 were included in the cohort. Surgical site infection occurred in 180 (4.8%) and 184 (5.0%) of patients in the placebo and steroid arms respectively. Significant risk factors (P < 0.05 level) included: diabetes managed with insulin (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13 to 2.12), oral hypoglycemics (aOR 1.60; 95% CI 1.18 to 2.16), or diet (aOR 1.81; 95% CI 1.16 to 2.83), female sex (aOR 1.34; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.71), renal failure with (aOR 2.03; 95% CI 1.06 to 3.91), and without (aOR 1.50; 95% CI 1.04 to 2.14) dialysis, > 96 min cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (aOR 1.84; 95% CI 1.44 to 2.35), body mass index (BMI) < 22.3 (aOR 0.44; 95% CI 0.28 to 0.71) or > 30 (aOR 1.49; 95% CI 1.17 to 1.89), peak intensive care unit blood glucose (aOR 1.02 per mmol·L-1; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.04), and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) operation type (aOR 2.59; 95% CI 1.87 to 3.59). Patients undergoing CABG, requiring longer CPB, with higher BMI, or with diabetes, are at elevated risk of surgical site infection. Strategies to mitigate this risk warrant further investigation.

Significance of leukocytosis prior to cardiac device implantation.

Infection remains a dreaded complication after cardiac implanted electronic device (CIED) placement. The prognostic value of the preoperative white blood cell (WBC) count, in the absence of other signs of infection, at time of CIED placement as a predictor of postoperative infection, has not been previously examined. The study population included 1,247 consecutive device implantations over a 4-year period that met inclusion criteria. The association between preoperative WBC count and resultant infection postoperatively was examined. Early infection was defined as definite infection of the pocket or lead system or development of systemic infection identified <60days after implantation. Preoperative WBC counts were obtained within 48hours of the procedure. Baseline characteristics of the population studied were mean age of 65years, 66% men, and 72% Caucasian. Pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), and biventricular ICDs were implanted in 41%, 44%, and 15%, respectively. Average procedure time was 174minutes ± 80. Of 1,247 device implantations, there were 10 infections (0.8%). Mean preprocedure WBC count in those diagnosed with infection was 8.1×103 /uL (range 5-11.7) and in those without infection was 7.8×10(3)/uL (range 2.3-29) (P=0.73). Cases resulting in infection demonstrated minimal change in WBC count (mean +5.5 ± 26.5%). There was no statistically significant difference in preprocedure WBC count between the two groups (P=0.7). Regardless of preprocedural WBC, no patients had other signs and symptoms of infection at time of device implantation. As an isolated finding, an elevated preprocedure WBC should not delay the implantation of an indicated device.

Factors Associated With Postoperative Infection After Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.

Numerous studies have investigated risk factors for the development of postoperative infection in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) patients. Herein, we describe our meta-analysis of the risk factors for the prediction of post-PCNL infectious complications. We searched electronic databases using a combination of the terms percutaneous nephrolithotomy, risk factors, infection, and sepsis. The primary outcome was post-PCNL infection as defined by fever >38°C or sepsis as defined by the Sepsis Consensus Definition Committee. Risk factors for infection in each study were identified and included for analysis if present in at least two studies. We used quantitative effect sizes in odds ratio to assess each endpoint. After application of criteria, 24 studies were found, of which 12 were prospective and 12 were retrospective. Of the prospective studies, preoperative urine culture, renal pelvis culture, stone culture, number of access points, hydronephrosis, perioperative blood transfusion, and struvite stone composition were found to be significantly associated with postoperative infection. Of the 12 retrospective studies, preoperative urine culture, stone cultures, number of access points, blood transfusion, stone size, and staghorn formation were associated with infection. Preoperative urine culture, stone culture, number of access points, and need for blood transfusion were consistently found to be significant factors. This indicates that the presence of bacteria in the urine/stone preoperatively as well as the amount of trauma the kidney sustains during the procedure are major predictors of postoperative infection.

Hemoglobin A1c as a Predictor of Postoperative Infection Following Elective Forefoot Surgery.

There remains little evidence to support a perioperative hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level that could serve as a threshold for a significantly increased risk of postoperative surgical site infection (SSI) following forefoot surgery. A national database was queried for patients who underwent elective forefoot surgery with diabetes. Patients with a perioperative HbA1c level within 3 months of surgery were identified and stratified based on HbA1c level in 0.5 mg/dL increments. The incidence of SSI was determined by either a diagnosis or procedure for SSI within 1 year and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC) analysis was performed to determine an optimal threshold value of HbA1c. A total of 4630 patients who underwent forefoot surgery with diabetes with a perioperative HbA1c were included. The rate of SSI ranged from 2.3% to 11.8%. The inflection point of the ROC curve corresponded to an HbA1c level above 7.5 mg/dL ( P < .0001; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.58-0.67; AUC = 0.631; specificity = 75%; sensitivity = 46%). After multivariate analysis, patients with an HbA1c level of 7.5 mg/dL or greater had a significantly higher risk for postoperative wound infection compared to patients below this threshold (OR = 1.92; 95% CI = 1.5-2.4; P < .0001). The risk of postoperative SSI following forefoot surgery increased as the perioperative HbA1c increased. ROC analysis determined that a perioperative HbA1c above 7.5 mg/dL could serve as a threshold for a significantly increased risk of postoperative SSI following forefoot surgery. Level III, comparative series.

Neurosurgical Infection Rates and Risk Factors: A National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Analysis of 132,000 Patients, 2006–2014

The existing body of literature on postoperative neurosurgical infections lacks large multicenter reports on postoperative neurosurgical infections. This is the largest study to date of postoperative neurosurgical infections rates, time to event, and risk factors. Demographics, medical history, and postoperative infections were assessed for all adult patients in the large, randomized, multicenter American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database undergoing an operation with a surgeon whose primary specialty was neurological surgery from 2006 to2014. Of 3,723,797 cases from 517 institutions in the NSQIP from 2006 to 2014, 132,063 neurosurgery cases were identified. Within these patients, the 30-day rate of postoperative infections was 5.3%. Postoperatively, 1.8% of patients developed surgical site infections (SSI), and 3.9% developed other infections including pneumonia and urinary tract infections. Superficial SSI had a cumulative incidence of 0.8% at a median of 16 (interquartile range [IQR], 11-22) days. Pneumonia had a cumulative incidence of 1.4% at a median of 5 days (IQR, 2-10 days). Systemic inflammatory response syndrome had a cumulative incidence of 1.6% at a median of 3 days (IQR, 8-16 days). Predictors of postoperative infections on multivariable analysis included female sex, older age, obesity, functionally dependent status before surgery, ventilator dependence, preoperative steroid use, bleeding disorders, hyponatremia, lymphocytosis, anemia, thrombocytosis, emergent case status, wound class II-IV, American Society of Anesthesiologists class 3-5, and longer operative times. The overall ACS-NSQIP reported rate of postoperative infections was 5.3% from 2006 to 2014. Multivariable analysis demonstrated several predictive factors for postoperative infections.

Post-Operative Infection Is an Independent Risk Factor for Worse Long-Term Survival after Colorectal Cancer Surgery.

Colorectal cancer surgery is associated with a high incidence of post-operative infections, the outcome of which may be improved if diagnosed and treated early enough. We compared white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) as predictors of post-operative infections and analyzed their impact on long-term survival. This retrospective study included 186 patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Post-operative values of WBC, CRP, and PCT were analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. We followed infections 30 d after the surgery. A five-year survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and prognostic factors by Cox regression model. Fifty-five patients (29.5%) developed post-operative infection, the most frequent of which was surgical site infection (SSI). C-reactive protein on post-operative day three and PCT on post-operative day two demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy for infection (area under the curve [AUC] 0.739 and 0.735). C-reactive protein on post-operative day three was an independent predictor of infection. Five-year survival was higher in the non-infected group (70.8%), compared with the infected group (52.1%). The worst survival (40.9%) was identified in patients with organ/space SSI. Post-operative infection and tumor stage III-IV were independent predictors of a worse five-year survival. C-reactive protein on post-operative day three and PCT on post-operative day two may be early predictors of infection after colorectal cancer surgery. Post-operative infections in particular organ/space SSI have a negative impact on long-term survival.

Perioperative Adiponectin Measurement is Useful for Prediction of Postoperative Infection in Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

Adiponectin (ADN) is a key molecule associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome, and functions as an immunomodulator. We have shown that the ADN ratio (i.e., postoperative ADN/preoperative ADN) can predict infection after gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer . In the present study, we evaluated whether the ADN ratio could reliably predict the incidence of postoperative infection in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery. We retrospectively analyzed 131 consecutive patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery and measured their preoperative and postoperative ADN values. The outcome was postoperative infection, including surgical site and remote infections. The association between the ADN ratio and postoperative infection was assessed using logistic regression models. For the ADN ratio and other significant predictors, we conducted receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analyses. Forty-nine patients (37.4%) experienced postoperative infections. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the ADN ratio was most significantly associated with postoperative infection [odds ratio per one standard deviation (1 SD) decrease 0.36; 95% confidence interval 0.18-0.71] even after adjustment for diabetes, type of surgery, blood loss, C-reactive protein level, and preoperative ADN level. History of type 2 diabetes mellitus also significantly predicted postoperative infection (odds ratio per 1 SD increase 2.93; 95% confidence interval 1.03-8.38). When predicting postoperative infection, the area under the ROC curve for the ADN ratio (0.707) was comparable to that for blood loss (0.698; p=0.975). ADN ratio is a clinically useful predictor of postoperative infection in patients undergoing colorectal cancer.

The Prevalence of MRSA Nasal Carriage in Preoperative Pediatric Orthopaedic Patients.

Nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been described as a risk factor for postsurgical infection. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of MRSA in pediatric orthopaedic patients and whether being a MRSA carrier is a predictor of postoperative infection. Six hundred and ninety-nine consecutive pediatric patients who underwent MRSA nasal screening prior to surgery were studied. Postoperative cultures, total surgical site infections (SSIs), and epidemiological and surgical prophylaxis data were reviewed. Forty-four of 699 patients (6.29%) screened positive for MRSA. Nine of the 44 patients (20.5%) that screened positive for MRSA had a subsequent SSI compared to 10 of the 655 patients (1.52%) that screened negative (p < 0.05). All 9 patients with a SSI had myelomeningocele. The prevalence of MRSA was 6.30% and was predictive of postoperative infection. Children with myelomeningocele were at the highest risk for having a positive MRSA screening and developing SSI.

Longer RBC storage duration is associated with increased postoperative infections in pediatric cardiac surgery.

Infants and children undergoing open heart surgery routinely require multiple RBC transfusions. Children receiving greater numbers of RBC transfusions have increased postoperative complications and mortality. Longer RBC storage age is also associated with increased morbidity and mortality in critically ill children. Whether the association of increased transfusions and worse outcomes can be ameliorated by use of fresh RBCs in pediatric cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease is unknown. One hundred and twenty-eight consecutively transfused children undergoing repair or palliation of congenital heart disease with cardiopulmonary bypass who were participating in a randomized trial of washed versus standard RBC transfusions were evaluated for an association of RBC storage age and clinical outcomes. To avoid confounding with dose of transfusions and timing of infection versus timing of transfusion, a subgroup analysis of patients only transfused 1-2 units on the day of surgery was performed. Mortality was low (4.9%) with no association between RBC storage duration and survival. The postoperative infection rate was significantly higher in children receiving the oldest blood (25-38 d) compared with those receiving the freshest RBCs (7-15 d) (34% vs 7%; p = 0.004). Subgroup analysis of subjects receiving only 1-2 RBC transfusions on the day of surgery (n = 74) also demonstrates a greater prevalence of infections in subjects receiving the oldest RBC units (0/33 [0%] with 7- to 15-day storage; 1/21 [5%] with 16- to 24-day storage; and 4/20 [20%] with 25- to 38-day storage; p = 0.01). In multivariate analysis, RBC storage age and corticosteroid administration were the only predictors of postoperative infection. Washing the oldest RBCs (> 27 d) was associated with a higher infection rate and increased morbidity compared with unwashed RBCs. Longer RBC storage duration was associated with increased postoperative nosocomial infections. This association may be secondary in part, to the large doses of stored RBCs transfused, from single-donor units. Washing the oldest RBCs was associated with increased morbidity, possibly from increased destruction of older, more fragile erythrocytes incurred by washing procedures. Additional studies examining the effect of RBC storage age on postoperative infection rate in pediatric cardiac surgery are warranted.

Solutions to Intraoperative Wound Classification Miscoding in a Subset of American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Patients

Intraoperative wound classification is a predictor of postoperative infection. Therefore, accurately assigning the correct classification to a surgical wound is of particular importance. Our institution participates in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP), a national outcomes database that collects wound classification for all qualifying operative procedures, and we noted discrepancies when comparing ACS NSQIP wound classification coding with perioperative coding in our electronic medical record. We tested the effectiveness of an intervention that included staff educational sessions, informational posters, and postoperative debriefings on improving the accuracy of documented intraoperative wound classification. The χ(2) test was used to compare proportions of wound classification miscodings before and after educational sessions and debriefings commenced. Baseline data revealed misclassification of wounds occurred 21 per cent (30 of 141) of the time in predominately colorectal procedures performed by two surgeons from April through August 2012. Errors decreased to 9 per cent (13 of 147) from August to December 2012, after our intervention of education sessions with operating room staff and the surgeons incorporating a statement confirming the wound classification at the end of the case debriefing. The χ(2) statistic was 8.7589. The P value was significant at 0.003. Ensuring concordance of classification between the surgeon and nurse during a postprocedure debriefing as well as education of perioperative nursing staff through posters and seminars significantly improved the accuracy of intraoperative wound classification coding.

Predebridement wound culture in open fractures does not predict postoperative wound infection: A pilot study.

Background:There is confusion in the current literature regarding the value of obtaining predebridement wound cultures in the management of open fractures with several studies reporting contrasting results. We undertook a pilot study to determine the initial bacterial flora of open fractures in our environment and determine the correlation between subsequent wound infection if any, and the initial bacterial flora.Materials and Methods:Initial/predebridement wound swabs were obtained for 32 patients with open fractures. Patients underwent a debridement of the open wound and preliminary stabilization of fracture in the operating room within 24 h. Postdebridement wound cultures were obtained at 48 h and repeated subsequently, if indicated, during the follow-up period. The antibiotic therapy was modified based on the culture reports.Results:Initial wound swab culture showed bacterial contamination in 18 patients (56%); 14 patients (44%) developed an infection in the immediate postoperative period or during follow-up. Age, gender, co-morbid medical condition, delay in presentation, and grade of open fracture were not found to be predictors of postoperative infection. No patient had an infection with the same organism, which was present in the initial culture.Conclusion:The findings of this study suggest that the initial flora are not the infecting organisms in the open fracture wounds, and predebridement wound cultures have no value in predicting postdebridement wound infection.

Chest Tube Tip Culture as a Predictor of Postoperative Infection in Lung Cancer Operations

Postoperative infection is one of the most frequently observed complications after lung resection and should be addressed in perioperative management. This study evaluated the clinical significance of chest tube tip culture relevant to postoperative infection. From September 2002 to December 2011, 1,438 patients who underwent lung cancer operations in Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital were evaluated. Postoperative infections, including surgical site infection, postoperative pneumonia, and postoperative empyema without fistula, were defined as those occurring within 30 days of thoracotomy. Postoperative infections developed in 84 of the 1,438 patients (5.8%), including 42 (2.9%) with surgical site infection, 36 (2.5%) with pneumonia, and 13 (0.9%) with empyema. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of chest tube tip culture were 23%, 98%, and 41.3%, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the independent risk factors associated with the development of postoperative infections were coexisting diabetes mellitus and positive chest tube tip culture. Positive chest tube tip culture was the only independent risk factor associated with surgical site infection. The independent risk factors associated with postoperative pneumonia were age 70 years or older, coexisting diabetes mellitus, and positive chest tube tip culture. Finally, positive chest tube tip culture was the only independent risk factor associated with postoperative empyema. Positive chest tube tip culture strongly predicts postoperative infections in lung cancer surgery and necessitates careful observation in the perioperative period.

Pre-operative serum C-reactive protein as independent prognostic factor for survival but not infection in patients with high-grade osteosarcoma

The purpose of this study was to investigate (a) whether pre-operative serum CRP is a predictor of survival in patients with high-grade osteosarcoma, (b) whether post-operative infection is a predictor of survival in these patients and (c) whether CRP is a predictor of post-operative infection, and especially deep prosthetic infection. In this retrospective single-centre study, pre-operative serum CRP levels in 79 patients (37 females, 42 males; average age, 18years; mean follow-up, 46months) undergoing resection of an osteosarcoma were correlated with clinical data and survival. The mean pre-operative serum CRP level of all 79 patients was 0.53mg/dl (SD, 1.27mg/dl). Patients dying of their underlying disease had significantly higher CRP levels compared to patients surviving throughout the follow-up period (1.09mg/dl ± 2.02mg/dl versus 0.32mg/dl ± 0.75mg/dl, respectively; p = 0.015). CRP levels were significantly correlated with survival (Pearson's correlation coefficient = -0.25; p = 0.026) and histological subtype (Pearson's correlation coefficient = -0.42; p < 0.001), but not with sex, age, histological response, tumour size or metastatic disease. In uni- and multivariate survival analysis, age, response to chemotherapy and serum CRP were associated with disease-specific survival. Patients with a CRP level over 1mg/dl had a significantly lower disease-specific five-year survival of 36.7% compared to 73.8% in patients with normal CRP values (p = 0.020). Infection was not correlated with disease-specific survival. Pre-operative serum CRP levels were not correlated with post-operative infection or deep prosthetic infection. Pre-operative serum CRP seems to be an independent predictor of survival in patients with high-grade osteosarcoma. Further studies are needed to confirm these results on a large-scale basis.

Circulating Cytokines after Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: A Preliminary Study

Several studies show cytokine concentrations in the peripheral blood are associated with inflammatory activity and surgical trauma. Cytokine concentrations have more rapid increase and quicker return to normal values than either C-reactive protein or erythrocyte sedimentation rate - a matter of hours rather than weeks; some studies suggest they are better predictors of postoperative infection than C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Threshold levels of interleukin-6 after joint arthroplasty have been determined, but levels of other potentially useful cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-8, interleukin-10, etc) are not known. We measured the serum levels of 25 different cytokines before and after hip and knee arthroplasties and identified those associated with surgical trauma. Peripheral venous blood samples (one preoperative and three postoperative) from 49 patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty were analyzed by laser chromatography. Three of the 25 cytokines had a relationship with postsurgical trauma, which included one deep infection. Serum levels of these three cytokines might be useful to identify periprosthetic infections during the early postoperative period when C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate remain elevated. Level II, prognostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

A proposal for an individual patient data based meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of allogeneic transfusion and postoperative bacterial infection.

LLOGENEIC blood transfusions have been reported to cause immunomodulatory effects, which purportedly enhance the survival of renal allografts in recipients, ~ increase the recurrence rate of resected malignancies, 2-5 increase the frequency of postoperative bacterial infections, 3,5,6-8 reduce the recurrence rate of Crohn's disease? and/or accelerate the progression of human immunodeficiency virus infection.l~ The specific constituents of donor blood that mediate these immunomodulatory effects remain unknown, but both animal and human data suggest that these effects are mediated by allogeneic leukocytes, n Plausible mechanisms for these effects have been advanced by several authors, 12-16 but experiments in laboratory animals may not directly extrapolate to humans. a7 Moreover, different pathophysiologic mechanisms may be involved in each of the reported immnnosuppressive effects associated with allogeneic blood transfusions. Finally, future research may corroborate some of the effects and fail to confirm others. The association of perioperative allogeneic transfusion with postoperative bacterial infection has been studied extensively, with over 30 observational studies reported. 3,6-8 Although some of these studies detected no adverse transfusion effect, ~8-21 in most allogeneic blood transfusions emerge as the single, best predictor of postoperative infection. In one report, allogeneic blood transfusions accounted for a 10-fold increase in the risk of infection, in both univariate and multivariate analyses) Many observational studies compared the frequency of postoperative infection in transfused and untransfused patients who differed with regard to baseline characteristics relating to both the need for

Infectious Complications of Craniofacial Surgery in Children

During the 10-year period 1975 through 1984, 219 children with congenital anomalies underwent oromaxillary or craniofacial surgery at Children's Medical Center, Dallas. There were no infectious complications following 56 oromaxillary procedures. The overall rate of infection following craniofacial surgery was 14.7% (24 of 163). Infection rates were significantly increased when a combined (monoblock) repair was performed (45% [15 of 33]), compared with either intracranial (8% [six of 72]) or extracranial (5% [three of 58]) procedures alone (P less than .001). The variables identified by multivariate discriminant analysis as useful independent predictors of postoperative infection were, in order of decreasing importance: length of operation, type of procedure (intracranial, extracranial, or combined), and age. Staged procedures are recommended for craniofacial surgery whenever possible because of the significant increase in rate of infection associated with the monoblock repair.