Getting the drop on Staphylococcus aureus: Semiquantitative Staphylococcus aureus nasal colony reduction in

Lisa Saidel-Odes1, Rivka Yosipovich2, Vadim Benkovich3

  • 1Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology Unit, Soroka University Medical Center and the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.

Abstract

Insights

Reducing Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization with presurgery intranasal povidone-iodine (PVP-I) effectively lowers surgical site infection (SSI) risk in joint and spine surgeries. Further PVP-I application post-surgery may benefit colonized patients.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Disease
  • Surgical Outcomes
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship

Background:

  • Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a significant healthcare-associated infection.
  • Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization is a known risk factor for SSIs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of presurgery intranasal povidone-iodine (PVP-I) application in reducing SSI risk.
  • To assess the impact of PVP-I on Staphylococcus aureus colonization burden.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective case-control study comparing a postintervention cohort with a historical cohort.
  • Adults undergoing joint arthroplasty or spine surgery were included.
  • Intervention involved presurgery intranasal PVP-I and skin antisepsis.

Main Results:

  • A 39.6% eradication rate of S aureus nasal colonization was observed post-PVP-I.
  • SSI rates decreased in the postintervention cohort compared to the historical cohort.
  • Deep SSI rates were significantly reduced across all procedures.

Conclusions:

  • Intranasal PVP-I effectively reduces S aureus nasal colonization, thereby decreasing SSI rates in orthopedic and spine surgery.
  • Consideration of postsurgery intranasal PVP-I is recommended for patients with presurgery S aureus colonization.