Routine sterile glove and instrument change at the time of abdominal wound closure to prevent surgical site infection (ChEETAh): a model-based cost-effectiveness analysis of a pragmatic, cluster-randomised trial in seven low-income and middle-income countries

BACKGROUND

Surgical site infection (SSI) is a major burden on patients and health systems. This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of routine change of sterile gloves and instruments before abdominal wall closure to prevent SSI.

METHODS

A decision-analytic model was built to estimate average costs and outcomes of changing gloves and instruments before abdominal wall closure compared with current practice. Clinical data were obtained from the ChEETAh trial, a multicentre, cluster-randomised trial in seven low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), and costs were obtained from a study (KIWI) that assessed costs associated with SSIs in LMICs. Outcomes were measured as the percentage of surgeries resulting in SSIs. Costs were measured from a health-care provider perspective and were reported in 2021 US$. The economic analysis used a partially split single-country costing approach, with pooled outcomes data from all seven countries in the ChEETAh trial, and data for resource use and unit costs from India (KIWI); secondary analyses used resource use and costs from Mexico and Ghana (KIWI).

FINDINGS

In the base case, the average cost of the intervention was $259∙92 compared with $261∙10 for current practice (cost difference -$1∙18, 95% CI -4∙08 to 1∙33). In the intervention group, an estimated 17∙6% of patients had an SSI compared with 19∙7% of patients in the current practice group (absolute risk reduction 2∙10%, 95% CI 2∙07-2∙84). At all cost-effectiveness thresholds assumed ($0 to $14 000), the intervention had a higher likelihood of being cost-effective compared with current practice, indicating that the intervention was cost-effective. Similar results were obtained when the analysis using data from India was repeated using resource use and unit cost data from Mexico and Ghana.

INTERPRETATION

Routine sterile glove and instrument change before abdominal wall closure is effective and the costs are similar to those for current practice. Routine change of gloves and instruments before abdominal wall closure should be rolled out in LMICs.

FUNDING

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinician Scientist Award, NIHR Global Health Research Unit Grant, and Mölnlycke Healthcare.

Accuracy of the Wound Healing Questionnaire in the diagnosis of surgical-site infection after abdominal surgery in low- and middle-income countries

INTRODUCTION

Telemedicine is being adopted for postoperative surveillance but requires evaluation for efficacy. This study tested a telephone Wound Healing Questionnaire (WHQ) to diagnose surgical site infection (SSI) after abdominal surgery in low- and middle-income countries.

METHOD

A multi-centre, international, prospective study was embedded in the FALCON trial; a factorial RCT testing measures to reduce SSI in seven low- and middle-income countries (NCT03700749). It was conducted according to a pre-registered protocol (SWAT126) and reported according to STARD guidelines. The reference test was in-person review by a trained clinician at 30 postoperative days according to US Centres for Disease Control criteria. The index test was telephone administration of an adapted WHQ at 27 to 30 postoperative days by a researcher blinded to the outcome of in-person review. The sum of item response scores generated an overall score between 0 and 29. The primary outcome was the diagnostic accuracy of the WHQ, defined as the proportion of SSI correctly identified by the telephone WHQ, and summarized using the area under the receiving operator characteristic curve (AUROC) and diagnostic test accuracy statistics.

RESULTS

Patients were included from three upper-middle income (396 patients, 13 hospitals), three lower-middle income (746 patients, 19 hospitals), and one low-income country (54 patients, 4 hospitals). 90.3% (1088 of 1196) patients were successfully contacted. Those with non-midline incisions (adjusted odds ratio: 0.36, 95% c.i. 0.17 to 0.73, P=0.005) or a confirmed diagnosis of SSI on in-person assessment (odds ratio: 0.42, 95% c.i. 0.20 to 0.92, P=0.006) were harder to reach. The questionnaire correctly discriminated between most patients with and without SSI (AUROC 0.869, 95% c.i. 0.824 to 0.914), which was consistent across subgroups. A representative cut-off score of ≥4 displayed a sensitivity of 0.701 (0.610-0.792), specificity of 0.911 (0.878-0.943), positive predictive value of 0.723 (0.633-0.814) and negative predictive value of 0.901 (0.867-0.935).

CONCLUSION

SSI can be diagnosed using a telephone questionnaire (obviating in-person assessment) in low resource settings.

Casemix, management, and mortality of patients rreseceiving emergency neurosurgery for traumatic brain injury in the Global Neurotrauma Outcomes Study: a prospective observational cohort study

BACKGROUND

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is increasingly recognised as being responsible for a substantial proportion of the global burden of disease. Neurosurgical interventions are an important aspect of care for patients with TBI, but there is little epidemiological data available on this patient population. We aimed to characterise differences in casemix, management, and mortality of patients receiving emergency neurosurgery for TBI across different levels of human development.

METHODS

We did a prospective observational cohort study of consecutive patients with TBI undergoing emergency neurosurgery, in a convenience sample of hospitals identified by open invitation, through international and regional scientific societies and meetings, individual contacts, and social media. Patients receiving emergency neurosurgery for TBI in each hospital's 30-day study period were all eligible for inclusion, with the exception of patients undergoing insertion of an intracranial pressure monitor only, ventriculostomy placement only, or a procedure for drainage of a chronic subdural haematoma. The primary outcome was mortality at 14 days postoperatively (or last point of observation if the patient was discharged before this time point). Countries were stratified according to their Human Development Index (HDI)-a composite of life expectancy, education, and income measures-into very high HDI, high HDI, medium HDI, and low HDI tiers. Mixed effects logistic regression was used to examine the effect of HDI on mortality while accounting for and quantifying between-hospital and between-country variation.

FINDINGS

Our study included 1635 records from 159 hospitals in 57 countries, collected between Nov 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2020. 328 (20%) records were from countries in the very high HDI tier, 539 (33%) from countries in the high HDI tier, 614 (38%) from countries in the medium HDI tier, and 154 (9%) from countries in the low HDI tier. The median age was 35 years (IQR 24-51), with the oldest patients in the very high HDI tier (median 54 years, IQR 34-69) and the youngest in the low HDI tier (median 28 years, IQR 20-38). The most common procedures were elevation of a depressed skull fracture in the low HDI tier (69 [45%]), evacuation of a supratentorial extradural haematoma in the medium HDI tier (189 [31%]) and high HDI tier (173 [32%]), and evacuation of a supratentorial acute subdural haematoma in the very high HDI tier (155 [47%]). Median time from injury to surgery was 13 h (IQR 6-32). Overall mortality was 18% (299 of 1635). After adjustment for casemix, the odds of mortality were greater in the medium HDI tier (odds ratio [OR] 2·84, 95% CI 1·55-5·2) and high HDI tier (2·26, 1·23-4·15), but not the low HDI tier (1·66, 0·61-4·46), relative to the very high HDI tier. There was significant between-hospital variation in mortality (median OR 2·04, 95% CI 1·17-2·49).

INTERPRETATION

Patients receiving emergency neurosurgery for TBI differed considerably in their admission characteristics and management across human development settings. Level of human development was associated with mortality. Substantial opportunities to improve care globally were identified, including reducing delays to surgery. Between-hospital variation in mortality suggests changes at an institutional level could influence outcome and comparative effectiveness research could identify best practices.

FUNDING

National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Group.