• Michelle B Formanek, Loreen A Herwaldt, Eli N Perencevich, and Marin L Schweizer.
• 1 College of Public Health, University of Iowa , Iowa City, Iowa.
• Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2014 Jun 1; 15 (3): 244-55.

ObjectiveA meta-analysis of all published randomized controlled trials of the effectiveness of gentamicin/collagen sponges for preventing surgical site infections (SSIs).BackgroundDespite routine use of systemic prophylactic antimicrobial agents, SSIs continue to be associated with substantial morbidity. RESULTS conflict of studies of the efficacy of gentamicin/collagen sponges for preventing SSIs. However, many of these studies have assessed sponge use in only a single specific type of operation. The general effect of sponge use among different types of operations has not been previously assessed.MethodsThe PubMed and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases were searched for articles appearing from 1990 through January 2012 that were related to gentamicin/collagen sponge use and SSIs. Summary estimates were obtained through a random effects model. After reviewing 714 article abstracts and reviewing 22 articles in detail, we pooled the odds ratios (OR) for 13 independent study populations (cardiac, n=4; colorectal, n=4; pilonidal sinus, n=2; hernia, n=2; gastrointestinal, n=1) in which the association between prophylactic use of gentamicin/collagen sponges and SSIs was assessed.ResultsPooling of the results of all studies included in the review in a random effects model showed a significant protective effect of prophylactic use of gentamicin/collagen sponges against SSI (pooled OR: 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.45, 0.97; n=13). However, when the data were stratified by type of operation, a significant protective effect was observed in cardiac procedures (pooled OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.96; n=4) but not in colorectal procedures (pooled OR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.29-1.92; n=4).ConclusionUse of gentamicin/collagen sponges was associated with a reduced risk of SSI following cardiac operations but not following colorectal procedures.

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