scholarly journals Economic Outcomes Associated with Deep Surgical Site Infection in Patients with an Open Fracture of the Lower Limb

OrthoMedia ◽  
2021 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 100-B (11) ◽  
pp. 1506-1510 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Parker ◽  
S. Petrou ◽  
J. P. M. Masters ◽  
F. Achana ◽  
M. L. Costa

Aims The aim of this study was to estimate economic outcomes associated with deep surgical site infection (SSI) in patients with an open fracture of the lower limb. Patients and Methods A total of 460 patients were recruited from 24 specialist trauma hospitals in the United Kingdom Major Trauma Network. Preference-based health-related quality-of-life outcomes, assessed using the EuroQol EQ-5D-3L and the 6-Item Short-Form Health Survey questionnaire (SF-6D), and economic costs (£, 2014/2015 prices) were measured using participant-completed questionnaires over the 12 months following injury. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analysis were used to explore the relationship between deep SSI and health utility scores, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and health and personal social service (PSS) costs. Results Deep SSI was associated with lower EQ-5D-3L derived QALYs (adjusted mean difference -0.102, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.202 to 0.001, p = 0.047) and increased health and social care costs (adjusted mean difference £1950; 95% CI £1383 to £5285, p = 0.250) versus patients without deep SSI over the 12 months following injury. Conclusion Deep SSI may lead to significantly impaired health-related quality of life and increased economic costs. Our economic estimates can be used to inform clinical and budgetary service planning and can act as reference data for future economic evaluations of preventive or treatment interventions. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:1506–10.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (38) ◽  
pp. 1-86
Author(s):  
Matthew L Costa ◽  
Juul Achten ◽  
Ruth Knight ◽  
May Ee Png ◽  
Julie Bruce ◽  
...  

Background Major trauma is the leading cause of death in people aged < 45 years. Patients with major trauma usually have lower-limb fractures. Surgery to fix the fractures is complicated and the risk of infection may be as high as 27%. The type of dressing applied after surgery could potentially reduce the risk of infection. Objectives To assess the deep surgical site infection rate, disability, quality of life, patient assessment of the surgical scar and resource use in patients with surgical incisions associated with fractures following major trauma to the lower limbs treated with incisional negative-pressure wound therapy versus standard dressings. Design A pragmatic, multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Setting Twenty-four specialist trauma hospitals representing the UK Major Trauma Network. Participants A total of 1548 adult patients were randomised from September 2016 to April 2018. Exclusion criteria included presentation > 72 hours after injury and inability to complete questionnaires. Interventions Incisional negative-pressure wound therapy (n = 785), in which a non-adherent absorbent dressing covered with a semipermeable membrane is connected to a pump to create a partial vacuum over the wound, versus standard dressings not involving negative pressure (n = 763). Trial participants and the treating surgeon could not be blinded to treatment allocation. Main outcome measures Deep surgical site infection at 30 days was the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcomes were deep infection at 90 days, the results of the Disability Rating Index, health-related quality of life, the results of the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale and resource use collected at 3 and 6 months post surgery. Results A total of 98% of participants provided primary outcome data. There was no evidence of a difference in the rate of deep surgical site infection at 30 days. The infection rate was 6.7% (50/749) in the standard dressing group and 5.8% (45/770) in the incisional negative-pressure wound therapy group (intention-to-treat odds ratio 0.87; 95% confidence interval 0.57 to 1.33; p = 0.52). There was no difference in the deep surgical site infection rate at 90 days: 13.2% in the standard dressing group and 11.4% in the incisional negative-pressure wound therapy group (odds ratio 0.84, 95% confidence interval 0.59 to 1.19; p = 0.32). There was no difference between the two groups in disability, quality of life or scar appearance at 3 or 6 months. Incisional negative-pressure wound therapy did not reduce the cost of treatment and was associated with a low probability of cost-effectiveness. Limitations Owing to the emergency nature of the surgery, we anticipated that some patients who were randomised would subsequently be unable or unwilling to participate. However, the majority of the patients (85%) agreed to participate. Therefore, participants were representative of the population with lower-limb fractures associated with major trauma. Conclusions The findings of this study do not support the use of negative-pressure wound therapy in patients having surgery for major trauma to the lower limbs. Future work Our work suggests that the use of incisional negative-pressure wound therapy dressings in other at-risk surgical wounds requires further investigation. Future research may also investigate different approaches to reduce postoperative infections, for example the use of topical antibiotic preparations in surgical wounds and the role of orthopaedic implants with antimicrobial coatings when fixing the associated fracture. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN12702354 and UK Clinical Research Network Portfolio ID20416. Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 24, No. 38. See the NIHR Journals Library for further project information.


2021 ◽  
Vol 103-B (12) ◽  
pp. 1802-1808
Author(s):  
Julie Bruce ◽  
Ruth Knight ◽  
Nick Parsons ◽  
Ria Betteridge ◽  
Amy Verdon ◽  
...  

Aims Deep surgical site infection (SSI) is common after lower limb fracture. We compared the diagnosis of deep SSI using alternative methods of data collection and examined the agreement of clinical photography and in-person clinical assessment by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria after lower limb fracture surgery. Methods Data from two large, UK-based multicentre randomized controlled major trauma trials investigating SSI and wound healing after surgical repair of open lower limb fractures that could not be primarily closed (UK WOLLF), and surgical incisions for fractures that were primarily closed (UK WHiST), were examined. Trial interventions were standard wound care management and negative pressure wound therapy after initial surgical debridement. Wound outcomes were collected from 30 days to six weeks. We compared the level of agreement between wound photography and clinical assessment of CDC-defined SSI. We are also assessed the level of agreement between blinded independent assessors of the photographs. Results Rates of CDC-defined deep SSI were 7.6% (35/460) after open fracture and 6.3% (95/1519) after closed incisional repair. Photographs were obtained for 77% and 73% of WOLLF and WHiST cohorts respectively (all participants n = 1,478). Agreement between photographic-SSI and CDC-SSI was fair for open fracture wounds (83%; k = 0.27 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14 to 0.42)) and for closed incisional wounds (88%; k = 0.29 (95% CI 0.20 to 0.37)) although the rate of photographically detected deep SSIs was twice as high as CDC-SSI (12% vs 6%). Agreement between different assessors for photographic-SSI (WOLLF 88%, k = 0.63 (95% CI 0.52 to 0.72); WHiST 89%; k = 0.61 (95% CI 0.54 to 0.69)); and wound healing was good (WOLLF 90%; k = 0.80 (95% CI 0.73 to 0.86); WHiST 87%; k = 0.57 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.64)). Conclusion Although wound photography was feasible within the research context and inter-rater assessor agreement substantial, digital photographs used in isolation overestimated deep SSI rates, when compared to CDC criteria. Wound photography should not replace clinical assessment in pragmatic trials but may be useful for screening purposes where surgical infection outcomes are paramount. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(12):1802–1808.


2020 ◽  
pp. 219256822097822
Author(s):  
Muyi Wang ◽  
Liang Xu ◽  
Bo Yang ◽  
Changzhi Du ◽  
Zezhang Zhu ◽  
...  

Study Design: A retrospective study. Objectives: To investigate the incidence, management and outcome of delayed deep surgical site infection (SSI) after the spinal deformity surgery. Methods: This study reviewed 5044 consecutive patients who underwent spinal deformity corrective surgery and had been followed over 2 years. Delayed deep SSI were defined as infection involving fascia and muscle and occurring >3 months after the initial procedure. An attempt to retain the implant were initially made for all patients. If the infection failed to be eradicated, the implant removal should be put off until solid fusion was confirmed, usually more than 2 years after the initial surgery. Radiographic data at latest follow-up were compared versus that before implant removal. Results: With an average follow-up of 5.3 years, 56 (1.1%) patients were diagnosed as delayed deep SSI. Seven (12.5%) patients successfully retained instrumentation and there were no signs of recurrence during follow-up (average 3.4 years). The remaining patients, because of persistent or recurrent infection, underwent implant removal 2 years or beyond after the primary surgery, and solid fusion was detected in any case. However, at a minimum 1-year follow-up (average 3.9 years), an average loss of 9° in the thoracic curve and 8° in the thoracolumbar/lumbar curves was still observed. Conclusions: Delayed deep SSI was rare after spinal deformity surgery. To eradicate infection, complete removal of implant may be required in the majority of delayed SSI. Surgeons must be aware of high likelihood of deformity progression after implant removal, despite radiographic solid fusion.


BMC Surgery ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Yin ◽  
Bin Liu ◽  
Yunbing Chang ◽  
Honglin Gu ◽  
Xiaoqing Zheng

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