Risk Factors for Infection After Minor Dermatologic Procedures: A Case-Control Study.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

• Limited data exist on infection incidence and risk factors post-minor dermatologic procedures.
• Previous studies often failed to specify local anesthetic preparation methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence and risk factors for infection following minor dermatologic procedures.
• To evaluate procedures performed using in-office prepared buffered lidocaine.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case-control study analyzing medical records over a 4-year period.
• Inclusion of skin biopsies, shaves, excisions, and destructions.
• Comparison of infected cases with uninfected controls.

Main Results:

• A total of 34 infections (0.4%) occurred among 9,031 procedures.
• Procedures on the arm (OR 5.29) and leg (OR 9.28) had significantly higher infection odds than head/neck.
• No significant association found between infection and age, sex, smoking, immunosuppression, diabetes, or anticoagulation.

Conclusions:

• Minor dermatologic procedures using in-office buffered lidocaine have a low infection incidence.
• Anatomical location is a key risk factor, with arms and legs posing a greater risk than the head and neck.