The following is a summary of “Postoperative Staphylococcus aureus Infections in Patients With and Without Preoperative Colonization,” published in the October 2023 issue of Infectious Diseases by Troeman DPR et al. 

For a study, researchers aimed to evaluate the occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus surgical site infections (SSIs) and bloodstream infections (BSIs) following surgery across European hospitals. They examined 33 hospitals in 10 countries, analyzing data from patients aged 18 or older undergoing various surgical procedures. Patients were screened for S aureus colonization before surgery and followed for 90 days post-operation. Data analysis occurred between November 2020 and April 2022.

The study involved 5,004 patients (median [IQR] age, 66 [56-72] years; 2,510 [50.2%] female). Researchers found 100 patients developing S aureus SSIs or BSIs within 90 days post-surgery. The weighted cumulative incidence of S aureus SSIs or BSIs was 2.55% (95% CI, 2.05%-3.12%) for carriers and 0.52% (95% CI, 0.22%-0.91%) for noncarriers. 

Preoperative S aureus colonization (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 4.38; 95% CI, 2.19-8.76), nonremovable implants (AHR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.15-3.49), mastectomy (AHR, 5.13; 95% CI, 1.87-14.08), neurosurgery (AHR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.09-5.61) (compared with orthopedic surgery), and body mass index (AHR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08 per unit increase) were independently associated with S aureus SSIs and BSIs.

The study revealed that surgical patients carrying S aureus were found to have been linked to higher chances of developing S aureus SSIs and BSIs. Identifying changeable and unchangeable factors associated with this risk is vital for addressing increased susceptibility to S aureus SSI and BSI.

Source: jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2811145