Surgical Site Infection in Spine Surgery

Even within the pediatric population, surgical site infections (SSIs) after spinal surgery lead to substantial patient morbidity and are an overall burden to the healthcare and hospital systems. The overall incidence ranges from 2% to 15% depending on the surgical procedure and the patient’s underlying condition and comorbidities. It is critical for surgeons to approach the prevention and treatment of these infections in a systematic way. Understanding and implementing the established “Best Practice Guidelines” of experts, as outlined in this chapter, is crucial to avoid postoperative infections at all costs. However, once identified, surgeons must classify infections as acute or chronic and tailor their treatment protocols accordingly. Obtaining tissue cultures, as well as a knowledge of the common offending agents, and involving a multidisciplinary team, such as infectious disease specialists, to determine long-term medical management with antibiotics is an important aspect of treatment. Once indicated for surgical management, maintaining or removing implants depends on the nature of the infection, as well as the maturity of the fusion mass in cases of deformity correction or other fusion-related procedures. Through this chapter, the critical diagnostic and management aspects of the treatment of pediatric spine SSIs are highlighted and discussed, presenting the most up-to-date clinical evidence.

Duke Scholars

Author Anthony Agostino Catanzano Jr. Orthopaedic Surgery