Intraoperative Surgical Wound Contamination May Not Lead to Surgical-Site Infection in Patients Undergoing Clean Orthopaedic Procedures

Abstract

Objectives Surgical-site infections (SSIs) can complicate virtually any surgical procedure. While SSI can result from numerous causes, contamination of the surgical field can also contribute to it. Intraoperative bacterial contamination during clean orthopaedic procedures can be detected using perioperative cultures. We hypothesized that perioperative cultures could be used to predict possibility of development of SSI in patients undergoing clean orthopaedic surgeries. Materials and Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study at a tertiary care hospital over a 2-year period. Intraoperative surgical wound lavage fluid and closed suction drain tip obtained in the postoperative period were sent for aerobic culture. All patients were followed up to look for the development of SSI for a period of at least 30 days for those undergoing nonimplant surgery, and 90 days for those with implant surgery. Statistical Analysis Means with standard deviation of the continuous data were calculated. Fisher's exact test and chi-square test were used for the analysis of the categorical variables. Relative risk and odds ratio were calculated to evaluate the association of the parameters under study with SSI. Results A total of 384 patients satisfying the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included. Perioperative cultures detected surgical wound contamination in 39 patients (10.1%). Forty-five patients (11.7%) developed SSI during the follow-up period. Skin commensals constituted 59% of perioperative contaminants and accounted for 20% of the SSIs. The relative risk of developing SSI with perioperative contamination was 0.41 (95% confidence interval: 0.09–1.63). Conclusion Intraoperative surgical-site contaminants could be detected using perioperative cultures. However, these contaminants did not lead to SSI. Timely treatment of perioperative contamination with appropriate antibiotics and local wound care probably helped in the reduction of SSI.

Enhancing Surgical Safety: Microbiological Air Control in Operating Theatres at University Medical Centre Maribor

“…These microorganisms pose a significant threat as they can adhere to surgical instruments, implants and open wounds, which can lead to postoperative infections. Factors contributing to microbial contamination of the air include the presence of theatre staff, patients and visitors, as well as inadequate ventilation systems [6][7][8][9]. Maintaining high air quality standards in operating theatres is imperative for several reasons: (I) Infection prevention: contaminated air can introduce pathogens into the surgical area, increasing the likelihood of SSIs, which can prolong hospital stays, drive up treatment costs and even lead to patient death.…”