Surgical infections
-
Surgical infections · Feb 2017
Review Meta AnalysisSmoking and Risk of Surgical Site Infection after Spinal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
The effect of smoking on the risk of surgical site infection (SSI) after spinal surgery remains controversial. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine whether there is an association between smoking and the risk of SSI and to calculate the relative risk of infections attributable to smoking. ⋯ This meta-analysis demonstrated that smoking increases the risk of SSI after spinal surgery. False-negative associations in other studies may have resulted from defects in the study design. However, because of the heterogeneity among the studies in the present meta-analysis, the results should be interpreted with caution.