The Incidence and Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infection After Clean Spinal Operations: A Prospective Cohort Study and Review of the Literature Publisher



Saeedinia S¹ ; Nouri M² ; Azarhomayoun A¹ ; Hanif H¹ ; Mortazavi A¹ ; Bahramian P³ ; Yarandi KK¹ ; Amirjamshidi A¹ Show Affiliations
Source: Surgical Neurology International Published:2015

Abstract

Background: Postoperative infection is one of the most common complications after spine surgeries. In our study, surgical site infection (SSI) is described as; superficial (i.e., skin and subcutaneous tissues) and deep (i.e., fascia and muscles) infections occurring in the short term (i.e., 1‑month) after spine surgeries (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition 81.00–81.08). To detect the risk factors for the occurrence of such a complication, studies require a large number of patients, a high quality of data and adequate analysis. In this study, we prospectively enrolled 987 patients undergoing spinal surgery over a 3 years period. Methods: From November 2010 to November 2013, 987 patients had a variety of spinal operations that included; disc herniation, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, fracture‑dislocations, spine and spinal cord tumors, and syringomyelia. Patients under the age of 10, those with a recent history of infection and antibiotherapy, and patients with immunodeficiency disorders were excluded. Results: Of the 987 spine procedures performed, 27 (2.73%) developed postoperative infections. Multi‑variant data analysis indicated that multiple factors correlated with an increased risk of SSI in descending order; trauma, a past history of diabetes, smoking, being confined to bed, in the perioperative period, mean blood sugar levels above 120 mg/dl, longer lengths of incisions, and longer hospital stay. Conclusion: Considering the preventable nature of most of the factors contributing to SSI, it should be possible to reduce these complications. © 2015 Saeedinia S.