Publikation

Do Preoperative Corticosteroid Injections Increase the Risk for Infections or Wound Healing Problems After Spine Surgery?: A Swiss Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study

Wissenschaftlicher Artikel/Review - 01.01.2018

Bereiche
PubMed
DOI

Zitation
Farshad M, Burgstaller J, Held U, Steurer J, Dennler C. Do Preoperative Corticosteroid Injections Increase the Risk for Infections or Wound Healing Problems After Spine Surgery?: A Swiss Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2018; 43:1089-1094.
Art
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel/Review (Englisch)
Zeitschrift
Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2018; 43
Veröffentlichungsdatum
01.01.2018
eISSN (Online)
1528-1159
Seiten
1089-1094
Kurzbeschreibung/Zielsetzung

STUDY DESIGN
A prospective multicenter cohort study.

OBJECTIVES
This study evaluates the risk for surgical site infections (SSIs) or wound healing problems (WHPs) in patients who underwent corticosteroid injection before lumbar decompression surgery.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA
Corticosteroid injections are often used for the treatment of the degenerated spine. However, their well-known immunosuppressive effects could increase the risk for local infections, particularly if a surgical intervention follows the injection rapidly.

METHODS
The Swiss Lumbar Stenosis Outcome Study (LSOS), which is a prospective multicenter cohort study of patients with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis, was used as database. Of 743 patients, 422 patients underwent surgery and were eligible for the study. Ten patients (2.4%) were revised for either SSIs (n = 6) or WHPs (n = 4). A control group (n = 19) was constructed matched according to age, sex, diabetes, and body mass index (BMI). Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated by using a conditional logistic regression model to quantify the risk of SSI or WHP after preoperative corticosteroid injection. Subgroup analysis was performed for patients with injection within 0 to 3 months before surgery, 0 to 6 months before surgery, or any injection at all before surgery.

RESULTS
Within this cohort, no significant association could be found between preoperative corticosteroid injection and postoperative SSI or WHP in patients with corticosteroid injections within 0 to 3 months before surgery [OR = 0.36, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.04-3.22], 0 to 6 months before surgery (OR = 0.69 95% CI 0.14-3.49), or any time before surgery (OR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.04-3.22).

CONCLUSION
Within the here investigated cohort, the risk of SSIs or WHPs following lumbar spinal decompression surgery seems not highly associated with preoperative corticosteroid injections. However, the safe time interval between corticosteroid infiltrations and surgery remains unknown, should not be decreased incautiously, and is the subject of further research.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
2.