Surgical infectionsPub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-09-03DOI: 10.1177/10962964251372841
Saechin Kim, John G Massoud, Philip Hanna, Serafina F Zotter, Amanda Schillinger, Valerie Kiers, Christopher M Bono
{"title":"Skin Closure Using Surgical Skin Staples May Have Increased Risk for Deep Surgical Site Infection Compared to Running Subcuticular Stitch Using Absorbable Suture in Posterior Lumbar Spine Surgery: A Single-Surgeon Experience.","authors":"Saechin Kim, John G Massoud, Philip Hanna, Serafina F Zotter, Amanda Schillinger, Valerie Kiers, Christopher M Bono","doi":"10.1177/10962964251372841","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10962964251372841","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Most systemic analyses of optimum wound closure have not found significant differences in the surgical site infection (SSI) rates between the different methods of skin closure. A recent international survey reported that spine surgeons used continuous sutures, interrupted sutures, and surgical skin staples (SS) frequently for skin closure. We found that SS and running subcuticular stitch using absorbable suture (RSAS) were the two most common methods of skin closure in our spine division, and one surgeon had routinely used SS for skin closure until early 2020, at which time the surgeon switched to RSAS. Our hypothesis was that the infection rate would not be different whether the skin is closed with SS or RSAS. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> After IRB approval, a retrospective review of billing and hospital records at a tertiary referral academic medical center was used to identify all open posterior lumbar spine surgeries (OPLS) by a single surgeon in 2018-22 and obtain demographics, clinical history, and surgical characteristics. The inclusion criterion was OPLS closed with the RSAS or SS. Exclusion criteria were oncologic condition and previous infection in the surgical site. <b><i>Results:</i></b> There were no significant differences between RSAS and SS groups in the risk factors such as age, BMI, history of diabetes or smoking, number of levels decompressed per case, number of levels fused per instrumented case, and operative time. The incidence of previous surgical procedure in the same site and the percentage of cases with instrumented fusion were both greater in the RSAS group, which should have resulted in greater risk for SSI in the RSAS group. However, the deep SSI rate in the RSAS group (1.4% = 3/216) was less than that in the SS group (5.9% = 6/101), and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.02). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> SS skin closure may have a greater risk for deep SSI compared with RSAS skin closure in OPLS.</p>","PeriodicalId":22109,"journal":{"name":"Surgical infections","volume":" ","pages":"756-761"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144969902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surgical infectionsPub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-08-20DOI: 10.1177/10962964251370926
Sebastian Beltz, Stephanie Fischer, Andreas Leutner, Hermann Kalhoff
{"title":"<i>Letter:</i> Quality of Antimicrobial Therapy and Physician Compliance Are Optimized When the Principles of Antibiotic Stewardship Are Considered in Pediatric Surgery.","authors":"Sebastian Beltz, Stephanie Fischer, Andreas Leutner, Hermann Kalhoff","doi":"10.1177/10962964251370926","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10962964251370926","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22109,"journal":{"name":"Surgical infections","volume":" ","pages":"788-790"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144969921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surgical infectionsPub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1177/10962964251361316
McKay J Meyer, Savannah H Skidmore, Heather L Evans, Mike M Mallah
{"title":"Disparities in Emergent Surgical Care in People Living with HIV.","authors":"McKay J Meyer, Savannah H Skidmore, Heather L Evans, Mike M Mallah","doi":"10.1177/10962964251361316","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10962964251361316","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Introduction:</i></b> People living with HIV (PLWHIV) have historically faced discrimination and unequal access to healthcare in the United States. This study aims to investigate differences in surgical intervention for common surgical emergencies among this population, specifically cholecystitis and appendicitis. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This study utilized the TriNetX® database to compare the rate of cholecystectomies and appendectomies among PLWHIV with diagnosed cholecystitis or appendicitis, respectively, compared with HIV-negative patients. Inclusion criteria were an indication for surgical intervention, cholecystitis (K81) or appendicitis (K35-37). Cohorts were defined by HIV status, and analysis was stratified by procedure. Cohorts were propensity matched for age, race, leukocyte count, HIV 1 RNA volume, and substance abuse disorders. Outcomes were defined as patients receiving cholecystectomy or appendectomy in two separate analyses. Relative difference (RD) and relative risk (RR) were compared with between HIV+ and HIV- cohorts. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The cholecystectomy analysis had 609,127 total patients, with 3,597 per cohort after matching. The appendectomy analysis had 641,395 total patients, with 2,368 per cohort after matching. HIV-positive patients with cholecystitis had a 16.736% risk of undergoing cholecystectomy compared with 23.019% risk in HIV-cholecystitis patients (RD: -6.283% [95% confidence interval (95% CI): -8.122%, -4.444%], p < 0.0001, RR 0.727 [95% CI: 0.662, 0.799]). HIV-positive patients with appendicitis had a 14.147% risk of undergoing appendectomy compared with 17.272% in HIV-appendicitis patients (RD: -3.125%% [95% CI: -5.196%, -1.054%], p < 0.0031, RR 0.819, [95% CI 0.717, 0.935]). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This study demonstrates a significant disparity in timely surgical intervention for PLWHIV. Further investigation is needed to elucidate the etiology of demonstrated incongruencies and their clinical relevance.</p>","PeriodicalId":22109,"journal":{"name":"Surgical infections","volume":" ","pages":"732-736"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144718703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surgical infectionsPub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-09-15DOI: 10.1177/10962964251376959
Chulhyo Jeon, Kiyoung Sung, Jinbeom Cho
{"title":"Clinical Implications of Systemic Corticosteroid Treatment on Mortality and Surgical Outcomes in Patients with Gastrointestinal Perforation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.","authors":"Chulhyo Jeon, Kiyoung Sung, Jinbeom Cho","doi":"10.1177/10962964251376959","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10962964251376959","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Systemic corticosteroids are commonly used in critically ill patients. Although steroids may reduce the duration of shock and mechanical ventilation (MV), their use in postoperative surgical patients raises concerns regarding complications such as anastomotic leakage, impaired wound healing, and infection. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of postoperative corticosteroid therapy on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for gastrointestinal perforation and receiving intensive care. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study of 354 patients treated between January 2013 and March 2023. Postoperative corticosteroid use was identified, and clinical outcomes were compared between treated and untreated patients. To reduce confounding, propensity score matching was performed based on initial and postoperative sequential organ failure assessment scores and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score. A generalized linear model and a random forest (RF) regression model were applied to explore associations between steroid-related variables and the duration of MV. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of the 354 patients, 37 (10.5%) received corticosteroids. In the unmatched cohort, the steroid group had higher mortality and complication rates. These differences were not significant after matching. In the matched cohort, the steroid group showed longer MV duration. No steroid-related variable was significantly associated with ventilation duration in regression analysis. Total hydrocortisone-equivalent dose emerged as the strongest predictor of prolonged MV duration in the RF model. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Postoperative systemic corticosteroid therapy was independently associated with prolonged MV without adversely affecting mortality or overall morbidity. Although parametric analyses did not confirm a clear dose-response relationship, cumulative steroid dose demonstrated the highest predictive importance for ventilator dependence in machine learning modeling.</p>","PeriodicalId":22109,"journal":{"name":"Surgical infections","volume":" ","pages":"777-783"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145055631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Impact of Pre-Operative Occult Bacteremia on Post-Operative Infectious Complications in Patients Undergoing Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer.","authors":"Kosuke Inada, Yukihiro Yokoyama, Kazushi Miyata, Shizuki Sugita, Shuta Yamamoto, Masaki Sunagawa, Atsushi Ogura, Takashi Asahara, Tomoki Ebata","doi":"10.1177/10962964251401456","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10962964251401456","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Purpose:</i></b> Occult bacteremia (OB), defined as blood stream micro-organisms confirmed by reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction that target 16S or 23S ribosomal RNA, has been shown to increase the incidence of post-operative infections during pancreaticoduodenectomy. However, its impact on other surgical procedures remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pre-operative OB on post-operative surgical site infection (SSI) during esophageal cancer surgery. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In this prospective observational study, 56 patients scheduled for esophagectomy were included. Pre-operative blood samples were tested for OB, and fecal samples were analyzed for microbiota. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Ten patients (18%) exhibited pre-operative OB. These patients had more frequent SSIs than did those without OB (40% vs. 10.9%, p = 0.044). Other complications or clinical factors did not substantially differ between the OB-positive and OB-negative groups. Fecal samples from OB-positive patients presented a greater prevalence of <i>Atopobium</i> clusters. In addition, the same bacterial species were detected in both the blood and feces of five OB-positive patients, with <i>Collinsella aerofaciens</i> being the most commonly shared species among <i>Atopobium</i> clusters. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Pre-operative OB increased the risk of SSI following esophagectomy. These findings emphasize the potential role of the gut microbiota, particularly <i>Collinsella aerofaciens</i>, in OB and subsequent infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":22109,"journal":{"name":"Surgical infections","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145669878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surgical infectionsPub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-09-17DOI: 10.1177/10962964251376954
Janesh Karnati, Sruthi Ranganathan, Xu Tao, Aydin Kaghazchi, Ahmed Ashraf, Andrew Wu, Sachin Shankar, Mikayla Wallace, Joseph Cheng, Owoicho Adogwa
{"title":"Post-Operative Infection Following Multi-Level Posterior Lumbar Spinal Instrumentation in the Vancomycin Powder Era.","authors":"Janesh Karnati, Sruthi Ranganathan, Xu Tao, Aydin Kaghazchi, Ahmed Ashraf, Andrew Wu, Sachin Shankar, Mikayla Wallace, Joseph Cheng, Owoicho Adogwa","doi":"10.1177/10962964251376954","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10962964251376954","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Since the early 2010s, prophylactic vancomycin powder has been widely adopted in spine surgery, with many surgeons crediting it for low surgical site infection (SSI) rates (1%-2%). However, its efficacy remains debated. <b><i>Purpose:</i></b> To compare post-operative SSI and related complications in multi-level posterior lumbar spinal surgery before and after the widespread use of vancomycin powder. <b><i>Design:</i></b> Retrospective study using the TriNetX Research Network. <b><i>Patient Sample:</i></b> Adult patients undergoing posterior spinal instrumentation (≥3 levels) for lumbar stenosis or spondylolisthesis. <b><i>Outcome Measures:</i></b> Primary: Composite rate of post-operative infections (superficial/deep incisional SSI, organ/space SSI, sepsis). Secondary: Incidence of incision and drainage (I&D) for SSIs. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Patients were divided into two cohorts: 2003-2013 (pre-vancomycin era) and 2014-2023 (vancomycin era). Propensity matching was controlled for age, gender, race, and comorbidities. Post-operative infections requiring I&D within 90 days were identified using procedural and diagnostic codes. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of 33,320 patients (mean age: 63.6 y; 43.3% male), 28,649 (86.0%) underwent surgery in 2014-2023 and 4,671 (14.0%) in 2003-2013. After propensity matching (4,668 patients per cohort), the 2014-2023 group had significantly lower odds of requiring I&D (odds ratio [OR] = 0.337) and developing post-operative infections (OR = 0.606). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> This large-scale, propensity-matched analysis suggests that the likelihood of post-operative infections or requiring I&D following multi-level posterior lumbar spinal instrumentation is approximately 40%-60% lower in the vancomycin era compared with the pre-vancomycin period.</p>","PeriodicalId":22109,"journal":{"name":"Surgical infections","volume":" ","pages":"770-776"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145081567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alyssa Fesmire, Lukas Bassett, Sean Nix, Andrew Benedict
{"title":"Fatal Toxic Shock Syndrome Resulting from <i>Clostridium sordellii</i> Bacteremia after Perforation of a Low Rectal Cancer.","authors":"Alyssa Fesmire, Lukas Bassett, Sean Nix, Andrew Benedict","doi":"10.1177/10962964251403444","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10962964251403444","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> <i>Clostridium sordellii</i> infections are rare and highly lethal. They are most associated with medical abortions and other genitourinary procedures. We report a fatal case of <i>C. sordellii</i> bacteremia from a perforated low rectal cancer with rectovaginal fistula. <b><i>Case Presentation:</i></b> A 60-year-old female presented with 10 days of abdominal pain, loose stools, and hematochezia. She developed rapidly progressive septic shock. Imaging identified a perforated rectal mass, pneumovagina, and a large pelvic abscess. She underwent fecal diversion and drainage of the pelvic abscess. Despite this intervention, she had refractory septic shock with multisystem organ failure resulting in death. Blood cultures grew <i>C. sordellii</i> post-mortem. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> <i>C. sordellii</i> infections are often fatal if not treated immediately. Clinicians must have a high index of suspicion in rectal cancer with associated gynecological involvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":22109,"journal":{"name":"Surgical infections","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145669815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stephanie Martinez Ugarte, Mokunfayo O Fajemisin, Beatriz Varman, Parker C Towns, Elias A Chamely, Renee W Green, William D Rieger, Susan H Wootton, Lillian S Kao
{"title":"Ertapenem as an Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Colectomies and Laparotomies: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Stephanie Martinez Ugarte, Mokunfayo O Fajemisin, Beatriz Varman, Parker C Towns, Elias A Chamely, Renee W Green, William D Rieger, Susan H Wootton, Lillian S Kao","doi":"10.1177/10962964251396052","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10962964251396052","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Given concerns for antibiotic resistance, broader spectrum antibiotic agents such as ertapenem are being used for pre-operative prophylaxis. We hypothesize that pre-operative ertapenem prior to laparotomies and colectomies is superior at decreasing surgical site infections (SSIs) compared with other widely used antibiotic agents. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were queried for studies until February 02, 2025. Studies were excluded if they did not evaluate ertapenem as a pre-operative antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing laparotomy or colectomy, the outcome was not SSIs, or it represented a review of prior publications. Three reviewers independently extracted relevant articles, and two performed risk-of-bias analyses. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of 6,389 abstracts identified, 9 studies remained after full-text review. Seven of the included studies were observational (78%), and two (22%) were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The median number of patients enrolled was 499 (inter-quartile range 253, 5192). Study populations included colorectal surgery (n = 8) and trauma patients undergoing laparotomy (n = 1). Ertapenem was compared with single-agent second-generation cephalosporins such as cefotetan, cefuroxime, and cefoxitin and to a single-agent penicillin with or without a combined β-lactamase inhibitor (i.e., ampicillin-sulbactam). In total, five (56%) studies showed that ertapenem was superior in preventing SSIs, decreasing SSI rates by as much as 59% (adjusted odds ratio = 0.41 [0.28-0.61]; p < 0.001). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Approximately half of the studies (56%) demonstrated that ertapenem was superior to other commonly used antibiotic prophylaxis regimens in decreasing SSI after laparotomies and colectomies. However, most studies were observational. Therefore, RCTs, especially in trauma, are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":22109,"journal":{"name":"Surgical infections","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13035282/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145551110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surgical infectionsPub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-05-26DOI: 10.1089/sur.2025.054
Jian-Rong Yu, Hai Hu, Hong Luo, Zhi Yang, Jun-Tao Tan, Qin Zhuang
{"title":"Nomogram for Predicting Post-Operative Pulmonary Infection in Patients with Traumatic Intra-Cranial Hematoma.","authors":"Jian-Rong Yu, Hai Hu, Hong Luo, Zhi Yang, Jun-Tao Tan, Qin Zhuang","doi":"10.1089/sur.2025.054","DOIUrl":"10.1089/sur.2025.054","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> This study sought to determine key risk factors for post-operative pulmonary infections (PPIs) in traumatic intra-cranial hematoma (TICH) patients and to develop a nomogram for evaluating infection risk. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A retrospective analysis was performed on TICH patients at a single-center hospital between October 2014 and September 2023. Key risk factors for PPI were identified using multi-variable logistic regression analysis, which were subsequently incorporated into a nomogram. Internal validation of the model was performed to assess its reliability and accuracy. <b><i>Results:</i></b> This study included 252 TICH patients, identifying significant risk factors for PPI such as age ≥60 years (odds ratio [OR]: 3.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.89-6.78, p < 0.001), smoking history (OR: 2.95, 95% CI: 1.56-5.24, p < 0.001), Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score <8 (OR: 4.10, 95% CI: 2.22-8.35, p < 0.001), mechanical ventilation for more than 3 days (OR: 6.25, 95% CI: 3.35-11.75, p < 0.001), and chest injury (OR: 4.75, 95% CI: 2.49-9.16, p < 0.001). A predictive nomogram based on these factors demonstrated good discriminative power upon internal validation. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Age, smoking history, GCS score, duration of mechanical ventilation, and chest injury are independent risk factors for PPI in TICH patients. The developed nomogram is a valuable tool for clinicians in predicting infection risk and guiding post-operative management.</p>","PeriodicalId":22109,"journal":{"name":"Surgical infections","volume":" ","pages":"646-651"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144143644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surgical infectionsPub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-07-15DOI: 10.1177/10962964251360249
Jacob Zeitlin, Sebastian D Arango, Jason C Flynn, Jon E Hammarstedt, Tristan B Weir, Andrew J Miller
{"title":"Esmarch Exsanguination in Acute Hand Infections: Evaluating Risk of Infection Spread.","authors":"Jacob Zeitlin, Sebastian D Arango, Jason C Flynn, Jon E Hammarstedt, Tristan B Weir, Andrew J Miller","doi":"10.1177/10962964251360249","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10962964251360249","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> This study aimed to evaluate the infection-related complication rates associated with the use of Esmarch exsanguination compared with gravitational exsanguination in patients undergoing surgery for acute hand and forearm infections. <b><i>Patients and Methods:</i></b> A retrospective cohort study was conducted from December 2020 to March 2024 at a level 1 trauma center. Adult patients with acute hand or forearm infections who underwent irrigation and debridement (I&D) within 21 days of symptom onset were included. Patients with systemic infection at admission were excluded. The incidence of infection-related complications, including repeat I&D, hematological spread of infection, and 30-day readmission, was compared between those who underwent Esmarch exsanguination and those who did not, using Fisher exact test. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The study included 80 patients, 33 in the Esmarch group and 47 in the non-Esmarch group. The overall complication rate was 15.2% in the Esmarch group compared with 8.5% in the non-Esmarch group. Repeat I&D was required in 12.1% of Esmarch patients versus 6.4% of non-Esmarch patients. Hematological spread occurred in one patient in each group, and readmissions were 9.1% in the Esmarch group compared with 2.1% in the non-Esmarch group. There was no statistically significant difference in the rates of infectious complications between the Esmarch and non-Esmarch groups. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This study challenges the longstanding avoidance of Esmarch exsanguination in the context of acute hand infections, suggesting that its use does not significantly increase the risk of infection-related complications. These findings suggest that surgeons may consider the use of Esmarch exsanguination in hand surgery without a significant increase in infection-related risks, potentially improving surgical visualization and outcomes. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.</p>","PeriodicalId":22109,"journal":{"name":"Surgical infections","volume":" ","pages":"688-693"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144638155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}