Do Preoperative Nasal Antiseptic Swabs Reduce the Rate of Surgical Site Infections After Adult Thoracolumbar Spine Surgery?
Abdul Fettah BuyukHarrison K TamJohn M DawsonAmir A MehbodEnsor E TransfeldtChristopher AlcalaPublished in: Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews (2021)
Routine nasal antiseptic swab before spine surgery did not affect the overall rate of SSI in thoracolumbar spinal surgeries. The incidence of methicillin-sensitive S aureus was lower in patients who received nasal decontamination (5/1,555, 0.3%) compared with those who did not (7/1,423, 0.5%); however, this result was not statistically significant (P = 0.57).