Study design: Retrospective study.
Objective: To describe pathogens found in SSI during pediatric-instrumented spine surgery, and to assess the relationship between pathogens and the etiology of the spinal deformity. Surgical site infection (SSI) after pediatric spine fusion is a well-known complication with incidence rates between 0.5 and 42%, associated with the patient underlying disorder. Pathogens involved in SSI seem to be related to patient characteristics, such as the etiology of the spinal deformity. GNB (gram-negative bacilli) are more frequent in neuropathic, muscular, and syndromic conditions. High-risk pediatric patients with a spine deformity undergoing instrumented surgery might benefit from receiving perioperative intravenous prophylaxis for GNB.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective study at our tertiary-care pediatric hospital from January 2010 to January 2017. We reviewed records of all episodes of SSI that occurred in the first 12 months postoperatively. All patients who underwent instrumented spine surgery were included in this study.
Results: We assessed 1410 pediatric-instrumented spine surgeries; we identified 68 patients with deep SSIs, overall rate of 4.8%. Mean age at instrumented spine surgery was 12 years and 9 months. Time elapsed between instrumented surgery and debridement surgery was 28.8 days. Cultures were positive in 48 and negative in 20. Of the 48 positive culture results, 41 (72%) were GNB, 12 (21%) gram-positive cocci (GPC), three (5%) gram-positive anaerobic cocci (GPAC), and one (2%) coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS). Of the 68 patients with primary SSIs, 46 were considered to have a high risk of infection, which reported GNB in 81%, GPC in 15%, GPAC in 2%, and CoNS in 2%.
Conclusion: Cefazolin prophylaxis covers GPC and CoNS, but GNB with unreliable effectiveness. Gram-negative pathogens are increasingly reported in SSIs in high-risk patients. Adding prophylaxis for GNB in high-risk patients should be taken into account when considering spine surgery.
Level of evidence: IV.
Keywords: Anti-biotic prophylaxis; Cefazoline; High risk patient; Pediatric spine; Spine deformity surgery; Surgical site infection.