Cooper et al identified risk factors for surgical site infection following instrumented fixation of spinal trauma. These can help to identify a patient who may require more aggressive management or a different management approach. The authors are from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City.
Patient selection: spinal trauma with instrumented fixation
Risk factors for surgical site infection:
(1) presence of comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, COPD, hypertension, etc)
(2) time to surgery from admission > 3 days
(3) posterior approach to cervical or lumbar spine surgery (versus anterior)
Other factors that may contribute (not statistically significant):
(1) malnutrition with reduced serum albumin
(2) hospital stay > 15 days
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