Immediate-use steam sterilization may not increase infection rates in orthopedic surgery
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Immediate-use steam sterilization during orthopedic surgery may not increase surgical site infection rates among patients, according to published results.
“Through our propensity score-matched study, we found that when immediate-use steam sterilization [IUSS] is used during an orthopedic procedure, there is no statistically increased risk of developing a surgical site infection [SSI],” Tyler J. Tantillo, DO, told Healio.
Among 70,600 patients who underwent either total knee or hip arthroplasty, laminectomy or spinal fusion from January 2014 to December 2020, Tantillo and colleagues identified 3,526 patients who had IUSS used during surgery. Researchers performed a propensity score-matched analysis to account for known predictors of SSI, which included a total of 7,052 patients. Researchers compared SSI risk among patients whose procedure did and those who did not include IUSS with the risk difference, relative risk, odds ratio and McNemar test.
Results showed 111 of the 7,052 matched patients developed SSI after propensity score matching. Researchers found 54.95% of the 111 patients had IUSS during surgery and 45.05% of patients did not. Patients in the non-IUSS group had a 1.42% estimated probability for developing SSI vs. 1.73% of patients in the IUSS group, according to results. Researchers did not find evidence that the proportion of SSI was greater in the IUSS group.
“Contrary to previous studies citing an increased risk of SSI with IUSS use, our study shows that IUSS can be performed safely during an orthopedic procedure,” Tantillo said. “Although we acknowledge that the results of our study may not change policy immediately, and future prospective studies are warranted, we encourage policymakers to reconsider the utility of IUSS in minimizing surgical delays, as well as reducing costs and waste.”
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