Postoperative Prophylactic Antibiotics Research Articles

An institutional protocol including socket alveoplasty and primary closure following dental extractions for patients with an elevated risk of developing medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw.

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of alveoplasty and primary closure following dental extractions in patients with an elevated medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) risk.Study design A retrospective review of 46 patients with an elevated MRONJ risk was conducted. This included a total of 124 teeth extracted, due to unrestorable caries (n = 46; 37%) and peri-apical pathology (n = 44; 35%).Results Our results showed 0% (n = 0) of patients in our cohort developed MRONJ post-operatively. Most patients were being treated with intravenous zoledronic acid for breast cancer (n = 23; 50%), with an average of 15 doses (range 1-72).Conclusions This study supports the use of alveoplasty and primary closure for patients with an elevated MRONJ risk. The authors highlight the importance of pre-operative cone beam computed tomography imaging, optimisation of immune status, post-operative prophylactic antibiotics, and the delay of bone modifying agents recommencement as influential factors in mitigating risk and favouring successful outcomes.

Qualitative drivers of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics use and resistance in Ethiopia.

The World Health Organization (WHO) cautions against unnecessary prolongation of postoperative antibiotics to prevent surgical site infections (SSI), however this practice is still common in many countries. This study aims to describe drivers of prolonged postoperative antibiotic prescribing and clinicians' perspectives on antibiotics resistance and stewardship in Ethiopia. We conducted semi-structured interviews of 16 surgeons and nine surgical ward nurses at three academic referral hospitals in Addis Ababa. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and coded. Codes were inductively and iteratively derived between two researchers, tested for inter-rater reliability (IRR), and the codebook was consistently applied to all transcripts. Thematic analysis was performed to understand drivers of prolonged prophylactic antibiotic use in surgical patients. Interviews revealed factors contributing to postoperative prophylactic antibiotics overprescribing, including inadequate infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, wide variability in local prescribing practices, and distrust in the applicability of WHO guidelines. Antimicrobial resistance was also identified as a major concern by staff. Barriers to improving stewardship included a lack of multidisciplinary teamwork to inform prescribing decisions, while solutions included constructing appropriate context-specific guidelines and improving evidence-based practices through input from local stakeholders, including surgeons, clinical pharmacists, and nurses. Study participants perceived that existing evidence and guidelines did not apply in their settings due to high rates of surgical site infections and gaps in perioperative IPC practices (e.g., availability of water for handwashing, sterility breaches). These gaps were a key contributor to prophylactic antibiotic overprescribing, reinforcing the need to strengthen upstream and perioperative surgical antisepsis processes. The findings of this study underscore the importance of engaging multidisciplinary teams in strengthening antimicrobial stewardship efforts, aligning processes to achieve compliance with best practices, and the need for rigorous, contextually appropriate studies from these settings to inform policy.

Are More Medically Complex Patients Who Undergo Complex Septorhinoplasty at an Increased Risk for Surgical Site Infection?

BackgroundProphylactic antibiotics are routinely prescribed by surgeons for their patients who undergo septorhinoplasty. However, the literature to support this remains controversial, especially in complex cases, those that require grafts, revision cases, extended surgical time, and an American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) value greater than or equal to 3. PurposeThe study purpose was to evaluate for a potential association between increased anesthetic complexity and the risk for surgical site infection (SSI) following complex septorhinoplasty. Study DesignRetrospective cohort study of patients who underwent a complex septorhinoplasty between 2005 and 2022 at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Patients were excluded if they did receive a septorhinoplasty, did not follow up, or had insufficient records. Independent VariableAll patients were assigned an ASA value prior to surgery, with an ASA value of 3 serving as this study’s independent variable. Main Outcome VariableThe main outcome variable of interest was the development of a postoperative SSI, defined as findings consistent with cellulitis, purulence, or fistula development necessitating antibiotic treatment. CovariatesThe demographic covariates included patient age and sex. Clinical covariates included diabetes status, history of nasal trauma or surgery, and smoking status. The operative covariates were surgical duration, perioperative antibiotic, intraoperative complication, and type of cartilage graft used. AnalysesChi square analysis and t-tests were used for calculations with p-values < .05 being considered significant. ResultsA total of 182 patients were included in this study, 81 (45%) with an ASA ≤2 and 101 (55%) with an ASA of 3. A patient’s age (P <.01), male sex (P<.01), and a diagnosis of diabetes (P<.01) were associated with an ASA value of 3. In total there were 6 (3.3%) SSIs, with 2 (1%) occurring in those with an ASA of 3. An ASA value of 3 (P = .27, Relative Risk (RR) of .40) was not shown to be associated with an increased risk of SSI. ConclusionsOur results suggest that an ASA of 3 is not significant with regards to postoperative infection in patients who undergo a complex nasal septorhinoplasty and prophylactic postoperative antibiotics are not warranted.

Postoperative prophylactic antibiotic therapy after pancreaticoduodenectomy in bile duct-stented patients reduces postoperative major complications

BackgroundPancreaticoduodenectomy can entail a high complication rate, especially in patients who underwent preoperative bile duct drainage through bile duct stenting. Pancreaticoduodenectomy bile duct stenting patients frequently receive prophylactic antibiotic therapy in the postoperative period. However, the exact value and the benefit of prophylactic antibiotic therapy in pancreaticoduodenectomy bile duct stenting patients remains under-investigated and thus unclear. MethodWe conducted a retrospective single-center study of pancreaticoduodenectomy bile duct stenting patients between January 2007 and December 2022. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and pathology data of 370 patients were collected, and intraoperative swab cultures of the bile were obtained from all patients upon transection of the common bile duct. The groups to be investigated were formed on the basis of postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. Postoperative complications and antibiotic resistance analysis were recorded. ResultsPostoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in stented patients after pancreaticoduodenectomy significantly reduced major complications (odds ratio: 0.547 [95% confidence interval 0.327–0.915]; P = .02) such as reoperation (P = .041) and readmission to the intensive care unit (P = .037). Patients with Enterococcus faecalis (odds ratio: 1.699 [95% confidence interval 0.978–2.950];P = .048), Enterococcus faecium (odds ratio: 1.808 [95% confidence interval 1.001–3.264]; P = .050), or Citrobacter (odds ratio: 2.211 [95% confidence interval 1.087–4.497]; P = .029) in their bile had a higher probability of developing wound infections. Appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis, according to the bile duct microbiome, significantly reduced the risk of wound infection (odds ratio: 2.239 [95% confidence interval 1.167–4.298]; P = .015). ConclusionPostoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in pancreaticoduodenectomy bile duct stenting patients significantly reduced major complications such as intensive care stay and reoperation. Targeted antibiotic treatment according to the biliary microbiome reduced the incidence of wound infections.

P14. Are Prophylactic Post-operative Antibiotics Indicated For Implant-based Breast Reconstruction?: A Randomized-controlled Pilot Study

P14. Are Prophylactic Post-operative Antibiotics Indicated For Implant-based Breast Reconstruction?: A Randomized-controlled Pilot Study

Antibiotics Prophylaxis Practice in Arthroplasty Surgeries.

Background Infection in orthopedic surgery is one of the most dreaded complications. It is associated with prolonged morbidity, disability, and increased mortality. One of the cornerstones of the prevention of infections is antibioticprophylaxis. This study assessed the practice of antibiotic prophylaxis in arthroplasty surgeries in our local hospital. Methods One hundred and seventy-one elective joint replacement patients were retrospectively analyzed for documentation of antibiotic plan in postoperative instruction, choice of antibiotic, dose, anddosage. Compliance with the dosage (duration and frequency) of antibiotic prophylaxis was compared among patients who underwent different operations, among patients whose operation notes had antibiotics plans, and among those patients whose operation notes lacked this information. Results Ninety-six females and 75 males with a mean age of 71.4±9.8 years who underwent hip replacement, knee replacement, or shoulder replacement were included in this study. Preoperative and postoperative antibiotics were received by 100% and 94.7% of patients, respectively. In 19.3%, there was no instruction about postoperative antibiotics while 4% missed at least one postoperative dose. The dosage of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics was variable as 26.3% of the patients experienced delayed administration of doses. Not having intravenous access, failure to prescribe antibiotics, and prescribing antibiotics in the "once only" rather than "regular medication" section of the medication chart were the reasons for improper timing of antibiotic doses. Observing surgical safety checklist was effective in ensuring preoperative antibiotic administration, whereasfailing to document antibiotic plan in operation note was associated with poor compliance with postoperative dosage. Interprofessional participation is crucial to compliance with antibioticprophylaxis practice. Conclusion This study identified key areas for improvement in our antibiotics prophylaxis practice. It resulted in implementing strategies to improve staff's awareness about the importance of timely administration of prophylactic antibiotics and proper documentation by all team members.

Effect of Perioperative Prophylactic Intravenous Antibiotic Use in Immediate Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction: A Retrospective Matched Cohort Study.

Background Among breast reconstruction methods, implant-based breast reconstruction has become the mainstream. However, periprosthetic infection is still an unresolved problem. Although published articles have revealed that limited use of antibiotics is sufficient to reduce infection rates, the number of surgeons still preferring elongated usage of antibiotics is not less. The aim of our study is to validate the appropriate duration of antibiotic use to reduce infection rate after implant-based breast reconstruction. Methods A retrospective study reviewed medical record of 235 patients (274 implants for reconstruction) who underwent prepectoral direct to implant breast reconstruction using acellular dermal matrix wrapping technique. Infection rates were analyzed for the patients administered postoperative prophylactic antibiotics until drain removal and those who received only perioperative prophylactic antibiotics for 24 hours. Results Of the 274 implants, 98 who were administered prophylactic antibiotics until drain removal had an infection rate of 3.06% (three implants) and 176 who received prophylactic antibiotics no longer than 24 hours postoperatively had an infection rate of 4.49% (eight implants). A total of 11 patients diagnosed with postoperative infection clinically, 8 were salvaged by antibiotic treatment, and 3 had implant removal and replacement with autologous flap. Postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis duration had no statistically significant effects in the risk of infection ( p = 0.549). Conclusion The duration of prophylactic antibiotics after surgery was not related to infection risk. Further study with a large number of patients, randomized control study, and route of antibiotics is needed.

Do We Need Routine Postoperative Prophylactic Oral Antibiotics in Elective Foot and Ankle Surgery?

Previous studies about antibiotic prophylaxis in foot and ankle surgery have focused on perioperative intravenous administration, with few studies reporting on the efficiency of postoperative oral antibiotics. The purpose of this study is to investigate differences in the rate of postoperative infection and wound complications between patients with and without postoperative oral antibiotics and to identify independent risk factors for these complications following foot and ankle surgeries. A retrospective review of all elective foot and ankle surgeries with at least a 6-month follow-up was performed over a 2-year time span. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on if they received postoperative oral antibiotics. We compared the rates of postoperative infections and wound complications between the 2 groups. The surgical site, the number of Current Procedural Terminology codes, and the number of surgical incisions were also noted. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors of postoperative infection and wound complications. A total of 366 patients were included in this study-240 with antibiotics and 126 without antibiotics. There was no significant difference in the rates of postoperative infection and wound complications between the 2 groups. The rate of superficial infection, deep infection, and wound complications was 1.7%, 0.8%, and 5.8% in the antibiotic group vs 3.2%, 0.0%, and 4.0% in patients without antibiotics, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified independent risk factors of postoperative infection and wound complications as follows: smoking (OR: 4.7), male (OR: 4.0), history of neoplasm (OR: 6.7), and multiple incisions (OR: 4.1). Our results suggest that routine postoperative prophylactic oral antibiotics are not needed following elective foot and ankle surgeries. However, certain risk factors may increase the risk for postoperative infection and wound complications in foot and ankle surgery. Level III, case-control study.

Does prophylactic antibiotics post pediatric pyeloplasty reduce the incidence of febrile UTIs?

PurposeThe use of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics in pediatric upper urinary tract reconstruction remains controversial. In this study, we examined whether low dose antibiotics administered following pediatric pyeloplasty reduce the incidence of febrile urinary tract infections at our institution. As a secondary outcome, in those patients with infection, additional analysis was performed to better quantify which patient population benefits the most from low dose prophylactic antibiotics.MethodsInstitutional review board approval (IRB) was obtained. All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. A retrospective study was performed in patients who underwent pyeloplasty (2011–2017) at our institution. Surgical approach (laparoscopic versus robotic assisted versus open, with or without internal JJ ureteral stent) were based on surgeon preference. Patients of 8 fellowship trained pediatric urologists were included in the study period. Patients with prior history of urologic interventions or other congenital genitourinary tract abnormalities were excluded. Demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, insurance status), prior history of culture proven urinary tract infection, surgical details (administration of perioperative antibiotics), and postoperative outcomes including; 1) re-admission 30 days post-surgery, 2) any urine cultures collected due to suspected urinary tract infection.ResultsA total of 209 patients (149 boys, 60 girls) met our inclusion criteria with 55/209 (26%) receiving postoperative prophylactic antibiotics. The average age was 6 years (range: 2 months-18 years). Indwelling ureteral stent was used in 176 (84%) patients. Eleven patients (5%) had a culture-proven urinary tract infection within 30-days postoperatively. No significant differences were seen in postoperative complications or incidence of urinary tract infection when comparing surgical approaches, +/- ureteral stent, or the use of antibiotics. Secondary analysis noted statistically significant increase in post-operative urinary tract infection in younger children (2.8 v. 6.2 years, p = 0.02), those patients who had a positive preoperative urine culture (8/11, p = 0.01) and those with public health insurance (p = 0.038).ConclusionThe incidence of postoperative urinary tract infection following pyeloplasty in our cohort was relatively low. There was a higher incidence of urinary tract infection in patients less than 3 years old. The use of antibiotics in patients post pyeloplasty did not appear to affect the incidence of post-operative urinary tract infection, however, they may have a role in children who have not yet potty trained and in patients with positive preoperative urine culture.

Surgical Duration Is Independently Associated with an Increased Risk of Surgical Site Infection and May Not Be Mitigated by Prolonged Antibiotics: A Secondary Analysis of the PARITY Trial of Infection After Lower-Extremity Endoprosthetic Reconstruction for Bone Tumors.

Infection after tumor resection and endoprosthetic reconstruction is a potentially limb-threatening complication. The duration of surgery has been shown to be a risk factor for infection, but the ability of an extended duration of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics to potentially minimize that risk has not been specifically studied. The objective of this study was to determine whether extended postoperative antibiotic therapy protects against surgical site infection (SSI) in the setting of prolonged surgical duration in patients undergoing endoprosthetic reconstruction after tumor resection. This study was a planned secondary analysis of the Prophylactic Antibiotic Regimens in Tumor Surgery (PARITY) trial data set. Patients in the PARITY trial were randomized to receive 24 hours or 5 days of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics. The current study assessed the risk of SSI in those cohorts on the basis of surgical duration. A multivariable regression model was used to examine the adjusted effects of the duration of surgery on SSI, after controlling for other significant risk factors and potential confounders. All 604 patients who had been included in the final data analysis in the PARITY trial were also included in this secondary analysis. Those who sustained an SSI had a greater mean duration of surgery (6.2 hours) compared with those who did not sustain an SSI (4.9 hours, p < 0.0001). There was no specific time point at which the risk of infection significantly increased. Extended postoperative prophylactic antibiotic therapy did not appear to mitigate the risk of SSI even in patients with prolonged surgical duration. Increased surgical duration was an independent risk factor for SSI in orthopaedic patients undergoing endoprosthetic reconstruction after tumor resection. However, surgical duration is multifactorial and is influenced by several variables. For example, there may be protective features of flap coverage that increase surgical duration while paradoxically decreasing the risk of SSI. Extended postoperative antibiotic therapy did not mitigate the risk of infection in this cohort, and other risk mitigation strategies will need to be considered in future studies. Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Patient and Surgical Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infection in Lower-Extremity Oncological Endoprosthetic Reconstruction: A Secondary Analysis of the PARITY Trial Data.

The specific risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) in orthopaedic oncology patients undergoing endoprosthetic reconstruction have not previously been evaluated in a large prospective cohort. In the current study, we aimed to define patient- and procedure-specific risk factors for SSI in patients who underwent surgical excision and endoprosthetic reconstruction for lower-extremity bone or soft-tissue tumors using the prospectively collected data of the Prophylactic Antibiotic Regimens in Tumor Surgery (PARITY) trial. PARITY was a multicenter, blinded, randomized controlled trial with a parallel 2-arm design that aimed to determine the effect of a long duration (5 days) versus short duration (24 hours) of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics on the rate of SSI in patients undergoing surgical excision and endoprosthetic reconstruction of the femur or tibia. In this secondary analysis of the PARITY data, a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was constructed to explore predictors of SSI within 1 year postoperatively. A total of 96 (15.9%) of the 604 patients experienced an SSI. Of the 23 variables analyzed in the univariate analysis, 4 variables achieved significance: preoperative diagnosis, operative time, volume of muscle excised, and hospital length of stay (LOS). However, only hospital LOS was found to be independently predictive of SSI in the multivariate regression analysis (hazard ratio per day = 1.03; 95% confidence interval = 1.01 to 1.05; p < 0.001). An omnibus test of model coefficients demonstrated that the model showed significant improvement over the null model (χ2 = 78.04; p < 0.001). No multicollinearity was found. This secondary analysis of the PARITY study data found that the only independent risk factor for SSI on multivariate analysis was hospital LOS. It may therefore be reasonable for clinicians to consider streamlined discharge plans for orthopaedic oncology patients to potentially reduce the risk of SSI. Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Prophylactic Antibiotics After Cleft Lip and Palate Reconstruction: A Review From a Global Health Perspective.

Orofacial clefts are common congenital deformities. Global initiatives have increased access to cleft care and reconstruction surgeries for cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P), but there is no consensus on the use of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics. We conducted a narrative review using PubMed on the use of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics in CL/P surgery. A search of PubMed identified 30 potentially relevant articles, of which 15 were reviewed. There was no consensus among surgeons on prescribing patterns, but there was limited evidence that postoperative antibiotics reduce palatal fistulas. Notably, microbiological screening is not used to guide the choice of antimicrobial or to predict postoperative complications. Based on limited available data, we cannot make any strong evidence-based recommendations on prescribing postoperative antibiotics; however, we recommend that each cleft surgeon performing these procedures in lower-income countries without access to tertiary care centersconsider the cost-benefit analysis of prescribing antimicrobials postoperatively, without antimicrobial screening, which showed no benefit.

Postoperative Infection and Revision Surgery Rates in Foot and Ankle Surgery Without Routine Prescription of Prophylactic Antibiotics

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are associated with patient morbidity and increased healthcare costs. Limited literature in foot and ankle surgery provides guidance about routine administration of postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence and revision surgery rates of SSI in outpatient foot and ankle surgeries in patients not receiving oral postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. A retrospective review of all outpatient surgeries (n = 1517) conducted by a single surgeon in a tertiary referral academic center was conducted through electronic medical records. Incidence of SSI, revision surgery rate, and associated risk factors were determined. The median follow-up was 6 months. Postoperative infection occurred in 2.9% (n = 44) of the surgeries conducted, with 0.9% of patients (n = 14) requiring return to the operating room. Thirty patients (2.0%) were diagnosed with simple superficial infections, which resolved with local wound care and oral antibiotics. Diabetes (adjusted odds ratio, 2.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.00 to 4.38; P = 0.049) and increasing age (adjusted odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.04; P = 0.016) were significantly associated with postoperative infection. This study demonstrated low postoperative infection and revision surgery rates without the routine prescription of prophylactic postoperative antibiotics. Increasing age and diabetes are signficant risk factors for developing a postoperative infection.

Impact of Extended Antibiotic Use After Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Patients with Preoperative Metallic Biliary Stenting Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

IntroductionPancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) remains a complex surgical procedure with infectious complications affecting nearly 50% of patients. Patients who undergo biliary drainage with stent placement prior to neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) reportedly have higher infection rates following PD. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the differences in postoperative infectious complication rates based on the duration of post operative prophylactic antibiotics in patients with indwelling metal biliary stent who had NAT. MethodsA retrospective institutional pancreatic cancer database was queried for patients who had a metal biliary stent placed prior to NAT initiation, followed by subsequent PD between 2014 and 2021. Duration of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics was defined as short (SC: ≤ 24 h) or extended (EC: > 24 h–7 days). The primary outcome of interest was surgical site infection (SSI). ResultsTwo hundred and ninety-five (n = 295) patients were identified of which the majority (n = 205, 69.5%) received a short course of antibiotics postoperatively. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two cohorts including age, sex, BMI, and comorbidity index. EC patients received more NAT cycles (4 vs. 3, p < 0.001) and underwent an open PD more frequently (61.8% vs. 41.0%, p < 0.001). SSI occurred in 64 (21.7%) patients; SC cohort: 54, 26.3% vs. EC cohort:10, 11.1%, (p = 0.003). Additionally, the SC cohort demonstrated a higher incidence of major complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3: 51 [24.9%] vs. 13 [14.4%], p = 0.045). On the logistic regression model examining factors associated with SSI, higher BMI (continuous variable) was associated with increased odds of SSI (OR: 1.05 [95%CI: 1.00, 1.10, p = 0.040), while EC was protective (OR: 0.36 [95%CI: 0.17, 0.75], p = 0.007). ConclusionsThese data suggest that an extended course of perioperative antibiotic correlates with reductions in SSI and major morbidity following PD in patients with a metallic biliary stent placed prior to NAT course. These results require validation in a future randomized clinical trial examining a larger cohort of patients with further emphasis on the types of perioperative antibiotics administered.

Incidence and risk factors for surgical site infection following enucleation in dogs.

Surgical site infections (SSI) increase morbidity, increase treatment costs, and can delay onset of necessary adjunctive therapy. The goal of this retrospective study was to determine the incidence of and risk factors of SSI after enucleation in dogs. Medical records were searched at one veterinary teaching hospital and identified 280 dogs that underwent enucleation and had an adequate follow-up to assess SSI. Multiple preoperative (e.g., reason for enucleation), peri-operative (e.g., surgical approach and surgeon experience level), and post-operative (e.g., use of post-operative antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medications) variables were assessed as risk factors for development of SSI. The incidence of SSI after enucleation was 5%, and no risk factors for SSI were identified. Dogs that received cephalexin as a prophylactic post-operative antibiotic were statistically more likely to develop SSI versus those that received a different post-operative antibiotic (p = 0.045). However, the clinical significance of this finding is unclear as administration of prophylactic post-operative antibiotics overall did not reduce the risk of SSI in the population evaluated here. No risk factors were identified to guide clinical decision-making for prevention of SSI. Additionally, the results do not support the use of prophylactic antibiotics after enucleation in dogs.

Short Course of Oral Antibiotic Treatment After Two-Stage Exchange Arthroplasty Appears to Decrease Early Reinfection

BackgroundRecent evidence has suggested a benefit to extended postoperative prophylactic oral antibiotics after two-stage exchange arthroplasty for treatment of periprosthetic joint infections. We sought to determine reinfection rates with and without a short course of oral antibiotics after two-stage exchange procedures. MethodsA retrospective review identified patients undergoing two-stage exchange arthroplasty for periprosthetic joint infection of the hip or knee. Patients were excluded if they failed a prior two-stage exchange, had positive cultures at reimplantation, prolonged intravenous antibiotics postoperatively, and/or life-long suppression. This resulted in 444 reimplantations (210 hips and 234 knees). Patients were divided into three cohorts based on the duration of oral antibiotics after reimplantation: no antibiotics (102), ≤2 weeks (266), or >2 weeks (76). The primary endpoint was reinfection within 1 year of reimplantation. ResultsWithin 1 year of reimplantation, there were 34 reinfections. In the no-antibiotic, ≤ 2-week, and >2-week cohorts the reinfection rates were 14.1, 7.0, and 6.4%, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression showed a reduced reinfection rate in the ≤2-week cohort relative to no antibiotics (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.38, P = .01). While the smaller cohort with >2 weeks of antibiotics did not significantly reduce the reinfection rate (HR: 0.41, P = .12), when combined with the ≤2-week cohort, use of oral antibiotics had an overall reduction of the reinfection rate (HR: 0.39, P = .01). ConclusionsThese data support the hypothesis that a short course of oral antibiotics after reimplantation decreases the 1-year reinfection rate. Future randomized studies should seek to examine the efficacy of different durations of oral antibiotics to reduce reinfection. Level of EvidencePrognostic Level IV.

Comparison of Inflammatory Markers Changes in Patients Who Used Postoperative Prophylactic Antibiotics within 24 Hours after Spine Surgery and 5 Days after Spine Surgery.

C-reactive protein (CRP) level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and white blood cell (WBC) count are inflammatory markers used to evaluate postoperative infections. Although these markers are non-specific, understanding their normal kinetics after surgery may be helpful in the early detection of postoperative infections. To compliment the recent trend of reducing the duration of antibiotic use, this retrospective study investigated the inflammatory markers of patients who had received antibiotics within 24 hours after surgery according to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service guidelines and compared them with those of patients who had received antibiotics for 5 days, which was proven to be non-infectious. We enrolled 74 patients, divided into two groups. Patients underwent posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) at a single institution between 2019 and 2020. Group A included 37 patients who received antibiotics within 24 hours after the PLIF procedure, and group B comprised 37 patients who had used antibiotics for 5 days. A 1 : 1 nearest-neighbor propensity-matched analysis was used. The clinical variables included age, sex, medical history, body mass index, estimated blood loss, and operation time. Laboratory data included CRP, ESR, and WBC, which were measured preoperatively and on postoperative days (POD) 1, 3, 5, and 7. CRP dynamics tended to decrease after peaking on POD 3, with a similar trend in both groups. The average CRP level in group B was slightly higher than that in group A; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed operation time, number of fused levels, and estimated blood loss as significant predictors of a greater CRP peak value (r²=0.473, p<0.001) in patients. No trend (a tendency to decrease from the peak value) could be determined for ESR and WBC count on POD 7. Although slight differences were observed in numerical values and kinetics, sequential changes in inflammatory markers according to the duration of antibiotic administration showed similar patterns. Knowledge of CRP kinetics allows the assessment of the degree of difference between the clinical and expected values.

Surgical outcome of endoscopic third ventriculostomy compared to ventriculoperitoneal shunt in non-communicating or obstructive hydrocephalus

Objectives: To assess and compare the effectiveness of Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy over Ventriculoperitoneal shunt in terms of rate of revision in non-communicating or obstructive hydrocephalus at a tertiary care centre in a low-middle-income country. Materials and methods: A Prospective Cohort Study was conducted from January 2019 to December 2020 at PIMS/SZABMU, Islamabad, Pakistan. A total of 104 patients of either gender under the age of 12 years diagnosed with non-communicating/obstructive hydrocephalus were enrolled in this study. They were allocated into two equal groups of 52 by the lottery method. One group underwent Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt (Group I) and another group underwent Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy (Group II). They received routine treatment of one-week postoperative prophylactic broad-spectrum antibiotics. They were discharged on the third postoperative day and were instructed for follow-up on the 4th, 12th and 24th postoperative week. Clinically, successful outcomes were defined as no event occurring during or after the surgery that could result in reoperation or any significant postoperative complication. Results: There were 55.8% males and 44.2% females in group I while 50.0% males and 50.0% females were in group II. The mean age of Group I was 0.89 years ± 1.5 SD while 2.3 years ± 2.8 SD in group II. During the procedure, the overall complication rate was 0% in group I and 4.1% in group II. In the 4th postoperative week, the overall complication rate was 5.9% in group I and 4.1% in group II. At the 12th postoperative week, the overall complication rate was 17.6% in group I and 2.0% in group II. On the 24th postoperative week, the overall complication rate was 9.8% in group I and none in group II. During the procedure, reoperation was needed in 0% in group I and 4.1% in group II. In the 4th postoperative week, reoperation was needed in 5.9% of patients in group I and 2.0% in group II. In the 12th postoperative week, reoperation was needed in 17.6% of patients in group I and 2.0% in group II. At the 24th postoperative week, reoperation was needed in 9.8% of patients in group I and none in group II. The overall mortality rate was 5.9% in group I and 4.1% in group II. Conclusion: Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy procedure was found to be better than the Ventriculoperitoneal shunt in terms of reoperation and complication rate at the 4th, 12th and 24th week after the procedure in infants and children with non-communicating/obstructive hydrocephalus.

The Investigation on Nosocomial Infection of Acinetobacter baumannii and the Clinical Analysis of Sequential Therapy of Cefoperazone/Sulbactam Sodium for Intracranial Infection.

Background Intracranial infection is a serious complication after neurosurgery. According to a survey, the incidence of intracranial infection is about 2.2%-2.6%, and patients with severe symptoms may even pose a threat to their life safety. Objective To explore the risk factors for intracranial infection caused by Acinetobacter baumannii after surgery and the clinical effect of sequential therapy of cefoperazone/sulbactam sodium. Methods In this study, a retrospective study was used. In this case-control study, 48 cases of intracranial Acinetobacter baumannii infection after neurosurgery in our hospital from January 2016 to December 2021 were selected as the infection group, and 96 patients without intracranial infection after surgery during the same period were selected as the control group to study all kinds of related factors and analyze the risk factors for intracranial Acinetobacter baumannii infection; in addition, in accordance with the therapeutic regimen for anti-infection, the infection group was divided into the tigecycline group (patients with tigecycline therapy in this group) and the combined group (patients with tigecycline combined with cefoperazone/sulbactam sequential therapy), with 24 cases in each group in order to compare the therapeutic effects of the two groups. Results Logistic regression factor model results show that increasing age of patients, surgical treatment for intracranial tumor or craniocerebral trauma, postoperative drainage time (≥3 days), and postoperative hospital stay (≥10 days) were the risk factors for postoperative intracranial infection of Acinetobacter baumannii in neurosurgical patients (P < 0.05), and postoperative prophylactic antibiotic treatment can reduce the incidence of intracranial infection (P < 0.05). The cerebrospinal fluid nucleated cell count, serum CRP, and serum PCT in the combined group 72 h after treatment were lower than those in the tigecycline group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Compared with the clinical efficacy after 72-hour treatment, the cure rate and effective rate in the combined treatment group were 83.33% and 16.67%, respectively, and those in the tigecycline group were 54.17% and 33.33%, respectively. The invalid interest rate was 12.50%, and the combined treatment group was superior to the tigecycline group (P < 0.05). Conclusion For patients with craniocerebral surgery, targeted preventive interventions should be carried out for the risk factors that may lead to intracranial Acinetobacter baumannii infection. The clinical effect of tigecycline combined with cefoperazone and sulbactam sodium sequentially in the treatment of intracranial Acinetobacter baumannii infection is better.

Are postoperative antibiotics required after orthognathic surgery?

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the frequency of surgical site infection (SSI) between orthognathic patients who received only intraoperative antibiotics and patients who received intraoperative antibiotics plus postoperative antibiotics. A retrospective study was performed of patients treated by a single surgeon over the years 2006–2012 and 2016–2019. The primary predictor variable was antibiotic exposure. The control group received no postoperative prophylactic antibiotics. The study group received postoperative antibiotics. Both groups received prophylactic intraoperative antibiotics and performed postoperative chlorhexidine rinses. The primary outcome was SSI frequency. Univariate, bivariate, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed; statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. The sample comprised 333 patients. Their mean age was 30.7 ± 11.8 years. The study group included 129 patients (38.7%); the control group included 204 patients (61.3%). The frequency of SSI was 17.1% in the study group and 26.5% in the control group (P = 0.048). In the multivariable logistic regression, only alcohol consumption was significantly associated with an increased risk of SSI (odds ratio 2.46, 95% confidence interval 1.36–4.44; P = 0.003). In patients undergoing orthognathic surgery, postoperative antibiotic exposure in addition to intraoperative prophylaxis approached but was not statistically significant for a decreased risk of SSI (P = 0.067).