Perioperative Oral Management to Prevent Surgical Site Infection: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Infectious disease prevention
• Surgical outcomes

Background:

• Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a major concern in healthcare settings, leading to increased costs and patient morbidity.
• The role of perioperative oral management (POM) in preventing SSIs requires further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the effectiveness of perioperative oral management in reducing surgical site infections.
• To explore the impact of POM on hospital length of stay.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis was conducted on 16 studies involving 10,052 patients.
• Subgroup analyses were performed based on patient disease type, surgical site, intervention type, and frequency.
• The GRADE framework was used to assess the certainty of evidence.

Main Results:

• Perioperative oral management demonstrated a significant reduction in the risk of surgical site infections (experimental studies: RR=0.64; observational studies: OR=0.49).
• POM showed a more modest effect in cardiovascular disease patients and non-oncology patients.
• Protocols lacking both chemical and mechanical oral cleaning components were ineffective (OR=0.76).
• POM was associated with a significant reduction in hospital length of stay (MD=-1.88 days).

Conclusions:

• Perioperative oral management is an effective strategy for reducing surgical site infections and hospital stays.
• Developing patient-specific POM plans is crucial for optimizing perioperative infection control.
• Further research is needed to establish best practices and the full scope of POM application.