Early versus delayed post-operative bathing or showering to prevent wound complications

Prevention of Surgical Site Infections in Spine Surgery: An International Survey of Clinical Practices Among Expert Spine Surgeons

STUDY DESIGN

Questionnaire-based survey.

OBJECTIVES

Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common complication in spine surgery but universal guidelines for SSI prevention are lacking. The objectives of this study are to depict a global status quo on implemented prevention strategies in spine surgery, common themes of practice and determine key areas for future research.

METHODS

An 80-item survey was distributed among spine surgeons worldwide via email. The questionnaire was designed and approved by an International Consensus Group on spine SSI. Consensus was defined as more than 60% of participants agreeing to a specific prevention strategy.

RESULTS

Four hundred seventy-two surgeons participated in the survey. Screening for Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is not common, whereas preoperative decolonization is performed in almost half of all hospitals. Body mass index (BMI) was not important for surgery planning. In contrast, elevated HbA1c level and hypoalbuminemia were often considered as reasons to postpone surgery. Cefazoline is the common drug for antimicrobial prophylaxis. Alcohol-based chlorhexidine is mainly used for skin disinfection. Double-gloving, wound irrigation, and tissue-conserving surgical techniques are routine in the operating room (OR). Local antibiotic administration is not common. Wound closure techniques and postoperative wound dressing routines vary greatly between the participating institutions.

CONCLUSIONS

With this study we provide an international overview on the heterogeneity of SSI prevention strategies in spine surgery. We demonstrated a large heterogeneity for pre-, peri- and postoperative measures to prevent SSI. Our data illustrated the need for developing universal guidelines and for testing areas of controversy in prospective clinical trials.

Prevention of Surgical Site Infections in Neonates and Children: Non-Pharmacological Measures of Prevention

A surgical site infection (SSI) is an infection that occurs in the incision created by an invasive surgical procedure. Although most infections are treatable with antibiotics, SSIs remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality after surgery and have a significant economic impact on health systems. Preventive measures are essential to decrease the incidence of SSIs and antibiotic abuse, but data in the literature regarding risk factors for SSIs in the pediatric age group are scarce, and current guidelines for the prevention of the risk of developing SSIs are mainly focused on the adult population. This document describes the current knowledge on risk factors for SSIs in neonates and children undergoing surgery and has the purpose of providing guidance to health care professionals for the prevention of SSIs in this population. Our aim is to consider the possible non-pharmacological measures that can be adopted to prevent SSIs. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide recommendations based on a careful review of the available scientific evidence for the non-pharmacological prevention of SSIs in neonates and children. The specific scenarios developed are intended to guide the healthcare professional in practice to ensure standardized management of the neonatal and pediatric patients, decrease the incidence of SSIs and reduce antibiotic abuse.

Short-term Outcomes in Pediatric Patients Managed with Peripheral Nerve Blockade for Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction and/or Meniscus Surgeries

Introduction

Peripheral nerve blockade (PNB) can be a useful component of a multimodal analgesia approach in managing pain after knee arthroscopy. However, the impact of PNB and short-term recovery in pediatric patients, particularly adolescents, who underwent knee arthroscopy for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and/or meniscus surgery (repair or resection) has not been well characterized. This prospective study presents observational data on short-term patient outcomes and side effects for 72 hours following discharging home of pediatric patients who underwent arthroscopic ACL and/or meniscus procedures with PNB.

Methods

This is a single-center, single-surgeon prospective observational study conducted over a three-year period. We characterized 72-hour postoperative outcomes including pain scores, return of sensation to the affected limb, analgesic use [nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids], readmission rate, and activities of daily living (ADL) via telephone survey. In addition, retrospective chart review was conducted to obtain perioperative and anesthesia details. Results for surgery groups were analyzed using descriptive and Pearson correlations using the SPSS version 24 (IBM Corp. Released 2016. IBM SPSS Statistics for Mac, Version 24.0. Armonk, NY, USA).

Results

We collected data on 47 patients undergoing ACL reconstruction with or without meniscus surgery (18/47, 38.3%) or meniscus surgery only (29/47, 61.7%). At 72 hours postsurgery, there were no readmissions or complications related to pain. Median-reported pain scores were 2.5 and 5.0 for the ACL and meniscus groups, respectively. A majority of patients continued to require opioids (45/47, 95.7%) and NSAIDs (46/47, 97.9%) at 72 hours postsurgery, but the number of daily opioid doses taken decreased with each day postoperatively. Over 93% of the patients could ambulate and shower at 72 hours postsurgery.

Conclusions

Regional nerve block appears to be an effective and safe analgesic strategy for pediatric arthroscopic ACL and meniscus procedures, with no short-term complications or readmissions related to pain in our cohort. Future prospective investigation is needed to characterize long-term pain outcomes in this surgical population.

Non-invasive volumetric analysis of asymptomatic hands using a 3-D scanner

Hand swelling is one of the symptoms often seen in practice, but none of the available morphometric methods can quickly and efficiently quantify hand volume in an objective manner, and the current gold-standard volume measurement requires immersion in water, which can be difficult to use. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the accuracy of using 3-dimensional (3-D) scanning to measure hand volume. First, we compared the hand volume calculated using the 3-D scanner to that calculated from the conventional method among 109 volunteers to determine the reliability of 3-D measurements. We defined the beginning of the hand as the distal wrist crease, and 3-D forms of the hands were captured by the 3-D scanning system. Second, 238 volunteers (87 men, 151 women) with no disease or history of hand surgery underwent 3-D scanning. Data collected included age, height, weight, and shoe size. The wrist circumference (WC) and the distance between distal wrist crease and tip of middle finger (DDT) were measured. Statistical analyses were performed using linear regression to investigate the relationship between the hand volume and these parameters. In the first study, a significantly strong positive correlation was observed [R = 0.98] between the hand volume calculated via 3-D scanning and that calculated via the conventional method. In the second study, no significant differences between the volumes, WC or DDT of right and left hands were found. The correlations of hand volume with weight, WC, and DDT were strong. We created a formula to predict the hand volume using these parameters; these variables explained approximately 80% of the predicted volume. We confirmed that the new 3-D scanning method, which is performed without touching the hand and can record the form of the hand, yields an accurate volumetric analysis of an asymptomatic hand.

Alternatives to antibiotics for prevention of surgical infection

BACKGROUND

Surgical-site infection (SSI) is still the second most common healthcare-associated infection, after respiratory tract infection. SSIs are associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates, and result in enormous healthcare costs. In the past decade, several guidelines have been developed that aim to reduce the incidence of SSI. Unfortunately, there is no consensus amongst the guidelines, and some are already outdated. This review discusses the recent literature regarding alternatives to antibiotics for prevention of SSI.

METHODS

A literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE was performed to retrieve data on the prevention of SSI. The focus was on literature published in the past decade.

RESULTS

Prevention of SSI can be divided into preoperative, perioperative and postoperative measures. Preoperative measures consist of showering, surgical scrubbing and cleansing of the operation area with antiseptics. Perioperative factors can be subdivided as: environmental factors, such as surgical attire; patient-related factors, such as plasma glucose control; and surgical factors, such as the duration and invasiveness of surgery. Postoperative measures consist mainly of wound care.

CONCLUSION

There is a general lack of evidence on the preventive effectiveness of perioperative measures to reduce the incidence of SSI. Most measures are based on common practice and perceived effectiveness. The lack of clinical evidence, together with the stability of the high incidence of SSI (10 per cent for colorectal procedures) in recent decades, highlights the need for future research.

Postcesarean wound infection: prevalence, impact, prevention, and management challenges

Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common complications following cesarean section, and has an incidence of 3%-15%. It places physical and emotional burdens on the mother herself and a significant financial burden on the health care system. Moreover, SSI is associated with a maternal mortality rate of up to 3%. With the global increase in cesarean section rate, it is expected that the occurrence of SSI will increase in parallel, hence its clinical significance. Given its substantial implications, recognizing the consequences and developing strategies to diagnose, prevent, and treat SSI are essential for reducing postcesarean morbidity and mortality. Optimization of maternal comorbidities, appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis, and evidence-based surgical techniques are some of the practices proven to be effective in reducing the incidence of SSI. In this review, we describe the biological mechanism of SSI and risk factors for its occurrence and summarize recent key clinical trials investigating preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative practices to reduce SSI incidence. It is prudent that the surgical team who perform cesarean sections be familiar with these practices and apply them as needed to minimize maternal morbidity and mortality related to SSI.