Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
-
Spinal fusion procedures are associated with a significant rate of surgical site infection (SSI) (1%-12%). The goal of this study was to identify modifiable risk factors for spinal fusion SSIs at a large tertiary care center. ⋯ Prolonged duration of closed suction drains is a strong independent risk factor for SSI following instrumented spinal fusion procedures. Therefore, removing drains as early as possible may lower infection rates.
-
Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Severity of disease and clinical outcomes in patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains not influenced by the presence of the Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene.
Patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains carrying the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) gene have severe clinical presentation and poor clinical outcomes. Antibiotics that suppress toxin production have been suggested for the management of these patients. The objective of this study was to compare the severity of disease and clinical outcomes of patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia/ventilator-associated pneumonia (HAP/VAP) infected with MRSA carrying the PVL gene with those patients infected with MRSA strains that do not carry the PVL gene. ⋯ In patients with HAP or VAP due to MRSA, severity of disease and clinical outcomes are not influenced by the presence of the PVL gene. Therapeutic strategies directed to block PVL exotoxin may not impact outcomes in these patients.