Frontiers in Surgery (Jul 2022)

Intraoperative incision irrigation with high-volume saline reduces surgical site infection for abdominal infections

  • Jin Wang,
  • Wen Lv,
  • Shihai Xu,
  • Chao Yang,
  • Bo Du,
  • Yuanbo Zhong,
  • Fei Shi,
  • Aijun Shan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fsurg.2022.927896
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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PurposeSurgical site infection (SSI) remains one of the most common postoperative complications for patients with abdominal infections. This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of high-volume normal saline (NS) irrigation in preventing postoperative SSI for patients with abdominal infections.MethodsIn this retrospective before-after clinical study, patients who underwent emergency laparotomy due to abdominal infections between Jan 2015 and Dec 2021 were included consecutively. A cohort of 207 patients with NS irrigation was compared to historical controls. A propensity score matching (PSM) with a 1:1 ratio was performed to reduce potential bias. The primary outcome was the 30-day SSI rate.ResultsIrrigation (n = 207) and control (n = 207) matched patients were statistically identical on baseline characteristics, perioperative, and intraoperative parameters. Irrigation patients had lower overall SSI rates (10.6% vs. 26.1%, p < 0.001), mainly due to reduction in superficial (4.3% vs. 17.9%) and deep (1.4% vs. 3.9%) SSIs, rather than space/organ SSIs (4.8% vs. 4.3%). Irrigation patients also had lower rates of incision seroma (4.8% vs. 11.6%, p = 0.012), shorter duration of antibiotics use (5.2 ± 1.7 d vs. 7.2 ± 2.0 d, p < 0.001), and unplanned readmission (1.0% vs. 8.7%, p < 0.001). Length of hospital stay showed a declining trend with irrigation intervention, while no significant difference was observed. Moreoever, logistic regression revealed that NS irrigationwas an independent protector against SSI (OR 0.309; 95% CI, 0.207–0.462; p < 0.001).ConclusionIntraoperative incision irrigation with high-volume NS is associated with a lower rate of SSI for patients with abdominal infections.

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