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Diabetes Associated with Increased Surgical Site Infections in Spinal Arthrodesis

  • Symposium: Papers Presented at the 2008 Meeting of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society
  • Published:
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor for surgical site infection (SSI). Spinal surgeries are also associated with an increased risk of SSI. To confirm previous reports we evaluated the association of DM with spine infection in 195 patients who underwent elective posterior instrumented lumbar arthrodesis over a 5-year period: 30 with DM and 165 without. Other known risk factors for SSI in spinal surgery were examined: age, gender, tobacco use, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, intraoperative antibiotic redosing, surgical time, bone allograft use, estimated blood loss (EBL), and drain use. The adjusted relative risk of having DM for developing SSI was 4.10 (95% C.I. = 1.37–12.32). Other factors did not appear as risk factors for SSI. The data confirm DM is a risk factor for surgical site infections in spinal arthrodesis surgery.

Level of Evidence: Level II, prognostic study (retrospective study). See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Khaled Bahjri from the Health Research Consulting Group for statistical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA

    Sam Chen MD, Matt V. Anderson BS, Wayne K. Cheng MD & Montri D. Wongworawat MD

Authors
  1. Sam Chen MD
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  2. Matt V. Anderson BS
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  3. Wayne K. Cheng MD
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  4. Montri D. Wongworawat MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Montri D. Wongworawat MD.

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Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (e.g., consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.

Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved the human protocol for this investigation and that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research. Each author certifies that the IRB has waived and does not require informed consent from the patients given the retrospective nature of this study.

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Chen, S., Anderson, M.V., Cheng, W.K. et al. Diabetes Associated with Increased Surgical Site Infections in Spinal Arthrodesis. Clin Orthop Relat Res 467, 1670–1673 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-009-0740-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-009-0740-y

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