The Efficacy of Daily Local Antibiotic Lavage via an Epidural Suction-Irrigation Drainage Technique in Spondylodiscitis and Isolated Spinal Epidural Empyema: A 20-Year Experience of a Single Spine Center

Mido Max Hijazi; Timo Siepmann; Ibrahim El-Battrawy; Percy Schröttner; Dino Podlesek; Kay Engellandt; Gabriele Schackert; Tareq A Juratli; Ilker Y Eyüpoglu; Andreas Filis

doi:10.3390/jcm12155078

The Efficacy of Daily Local Antibiotic Lavage via an Epidural Suction-Irrigation Drainage Technique in Spondylodiscitis and Isolated Spinal Epidural Empyema: A 20-Year Experience of a Single Spine Center

J Clin Med. 2023 Aug 2;12(15):5078. doi: 10.3390/jcm12155078.

Affiliations

¹ Technische Universität Dresden, Faculty of Medicine, and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Spine Surgery, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
² Technische Universität Dresden, Faculty of Medicine, and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Department of Neurology, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
³ Bergmannsheil University Hospitals Bergmannsheil, Ruhr University Bochum, Department of Cardiology, Bürkle de la Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany.
⁴ Technische Universität Dresden, Faculty of Medicine, and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Institute for Microbiology and Virology, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
⁵ Technische Universität Dresden, Faculty of Medicine, and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.

Abstract

Background: Various treatment modalities are available for local antibiotic therapy in spondylodiscitis (SD) and isolated spinal epidural empyema (ISEE), but there is no evidence-based recommendation. Postoperative epidural suction-irrigation drainage (ESID) is thought to reduce bacterial load, which may prevent the development of relapse, wound healing, hematogenous spread, and systemic complications. We evaluated the efficacy of postoperative ESID over 20 years on disease progression and outcome in SD and ISEE.

Methods: Detailed demographic, clinical, imaging, laboratory, and microbiological characteristics were examined in our cohorts of 208 SD and ISEE patients treated with and without ESID at a university spine center in Germany between 2002 and 2022. Between-group comparisons were performed to identify meaningful differences for the procedure.

Results: We included data from 208 patients (142 SD, 68.3% vs. 66 ISEE, 31.7%) of whom 146 were ESID patients (87 SD, 59.6% vs. 59 ISEE, 40.4%) and 62 were NON-ESID patients (55 SD, 88.7% vs. 7 ISEE, 11.3%). ESID patients with SD showed more frequent SSI (ESID: 22, 25.3% vs. NON-ESID: 3, 5.5%, p = 0.003), reoperations due to empyema persistence or instability (ESID: 37, 42.5% vs. NON-ESID: 12, 21.8%, p = 0.012), and a higher relapse rate (ESID: 21, 37.5% vs. NON-ESID: 6, 16.7%, p = 0.037) than NON-ESID patients with SD. The success rate in NON-ESID patients with SD was higher than in ESID patients with SD (ESID: 26, 29.9% vs. NON-ESID: 36, 65.6%, p < 0.001). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that ESID therapy (p < 0.001; OR: 0.201; 95% CI: 0.089-0.451) was a significant independent risk factor for treatment failure in patients with SD.

Conclusions: Our retrospective cohort study with more than 20 years of experience in ESID technique shows a negative effect in patients with SD in terms of surgical site infections and relapse rate.

Keywords: complications; epidural suction–irrigation drainage; isolated spinal epidural empyema; relapse; spondylodiscitis; surgical site infection.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.