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Potential for infection in orthopaedic practice due to individually packaged screws
G Smith1, F Vindenes, G Keijzers
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Gold Coast Hospital, Nerang Street, Southport, Queensland, Australia. gcssmith@hotmail.com
Injury
|December 20, 2008
Summary
Individually packaged orthopedic screws may pose an infection risk. Opening screw packets in the operating room can introduce bacteria, highlighting a potential concern for surgical site infections.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Infection Control
- Medical Device Packaging
Background:
- Implants are extensively used in orthopaedic procedures.
- Screws and plates are increasingly supplied individually pre-packaged.
- Concerns exist regarding the infection risk associated with individually packaged screws.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential for increased infection risk from opening individually packaged orthopedic screws.
- To assess microbial contamination associated with the packaging and opening process of surgical screws.
Main Methods:
- Cultured the exterior of 50 individually packaged screw packets.
- Opened packets over sterile petri dishes to simulate operating room practice.
- Used open petri dishes in the same theatre as a control for environmental contamination.
Main Results:
- Bacterial cultures grew from the exterior of 24 out of 50 screw packets.
- Opening the screw packets resulted in microbial growth in 7 out of 50 cases.
- Control petri dishes left open to the air showed no microbial growth.
Conclusions:
- The packaging and opening of individually supplied screws present a risk of microbial contamination in the operating theatre.
- This contamination pathway could potentially increase the risk of surgical site infections.
- Further evaluation and potential solutions are needed to mitigate this identified infection risk.
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