The Efficacy of Peroxide Solutions in Decreasing Cutibacterium acnes Burden Around the Shoulder

Topical Preparations for Reducing Cutibacterium acnes Infections in Shoulder Surgery: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND

Cutibacterium acnes (C acnes) is a commensal skin bacterium, primarily found in sebaceous glands and hair follicles, with a high prevalence in the shoulder region. It is the most common pathogenic organism in prosthetic joint infections after shoulder arthroplasty. Because of its low virulence, its diagnosis remains difficult.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the relative effects of topical preparations in reducing C acnes in shoulder surgery.

STUDY DESIGN

Meta-analysis; Level of evidence, 1.

METHODS

We searched the MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, and Cochrane Library databases in March 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing any form of topical preparation in arthroscopic or open shoulder surgery were included. The primary outcome was a reduction in the number of positive C acnes cultures. Secondary outcomes were adverse events related to the application of topical preparations. We performed a network meta-analysis to facilitate simultaneous comparisons between multiple preparations across studies. We calculated differences between preparations using odds ratios and their 95% CIs. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool.

RESULTS

The search yielded 17 RCTs (1350 patients), of which 9 were suitable for the network meta-analysis (775 patients). Overall, 2 RCTs were deemed as having a low risk of bias, and 15 raised "some concerns" of bias. Preparations included benzoyl peroxide (BPO), BPO combined with clindamycin, chlorhexidine gluconate, hydrogen peroxide, povidone-iodine, and water with soap. Only BPO resulted in significantly lower odds of a positive C acnes culture compared with placebo or soap and water (odds ratio, 0.12 [95% CI, 0.04-0.36]). There was no statistically significant difference with all other topical preparations. The only adverse events were skin irritation from BPO and chlorhexidine gluconate in a small number of reported cases.

CONCLUSION

BPO was the most effective topical agent in reducing the prevalence of C acnes in shoulder surgery. These results were limited by a combination of indirect and direct data. Future studies should focus on establishing the optimal frequency and duration of preoperative BPO to further reduce the burden of C acnes.

REGISTRATION

CRD42022310312 (PROSPERO).

The safety and efficiency of benzoyl peroxide for reducing Cutibacterium acnes in the shoulder: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes), a common pathogen, contributes significantly to infections in shoulder surgery. Prevention of shoulder infection is crucial to improve postoperative functional recovery and reduce costs. This study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the safety and efficacy of 5% benzoyl peroxide (BPO) application in the shoulder to decrease C. acnes.

Methods

Three electronic databases were searched as follows: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases. Data extraction for this study was performed by two independent reviewers, and only level I and level II studies were included. The outcome data sources of individual studies were pooled. The fixed-effect model was used to determine the meta-analysis.

Results

There were five level I studies and five level II studies. The results showed that the 5% BPO group had a lower risk of C. acnes positivity [OR, 0.21 (0.15, 0.30), I2 = 24, p < 0.00001]. The pooled analysis results showed that there was no significant difference in the ability of 5% BPO and 5% BPO + clindamycin to reduce C. acnes. However, the lower rate of adverse events was significantly in favour of the non-BPO group compared with the 5% BPO group.

Conclusion

BPO can decrease C. acnes in the shoulder to prevent infection. However, the combination of BPO and clindamycin does not enhance this effect further.

Level of evidence

II, Systematic review and meta-analysis.

The pencil eraser swab technique to quantify Cutibacterium acnes on shoulder skin

Introduction: Cutibacterium acnes is the most common cause of postoperative infections in orthopaedic shoulder surgery and is hard to eradicate with current measures. Newer strategies focus on reducing bacterial load on the skin before surgery. Several previous studies have used a large number of both described and undescribed sampling techniques. The purpose of this study was to compare three previously described swab techniques to obtain bacterial cultures: Levine's (L) technique, the Z technique and the pencil eraser swab (PES) technique. Methods: Three consecutive skin swabs were collected from the right shoulder, on 15 healthy male volunteers, using Levine's technique, Z technique and PES technique from each participant. To determine the number of living bacteria, serial dilutions were made, and after culturing for 5 d, viable count (VC) was expressed as CFU/mL (with CFU representing colony-forming unit). Results: The PES technique yielded significantly higher VC than the two others. PES: median 3700 CFU/mL, L: 200 CFU/mL and Z: 220 CFU/mL ( p = 0.003 ). There was no significant difference between the methods regarding the number of positive cultures. PES: 14/15, L: 11/15 and Z: 12/15. Conclusions: There is a need to harmonise sampling techniques of C. acnes in order to compare the efficacy of different measures to reduce the bacterial load on the skin before and during surgery. Of the three tested methods, the PES technique is simple and produces the highest bacterial counts.