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New sterilization guidelines did not affect infection rates after Mohs surgery

No significant impact on postsurgical infection rates was seen in patients who underwent excisional and Mohs micrographic surgery after guideline changes for surgical instrument sterilization protocols, according to recent study results.

Austin Liu, MD, and Naomi Lawrence, MD, conducted a retrospective study of 1,415 patients who underwent 1,688 surgeries to examine infection rates after excisional and Mohs micrographic surgery  (MMS) before and after implementation of Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) guidelines.

 

Naomi Lawrence

Fifty-seven standard excisions and 780 MMS were performed in 682 patients prior to the guideline changes. Seventy-five standard excisions and 776 MMS cases were performed in 733 patients after the changes.

There were no significant differences in infection rates (2% vs. 2.6%; P = .453), according to the researchers. Among those patients in whom infection occurred, there were no major differences in predisposing factors, the researchers found.

Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.