Analysis of Postoperative Thoracolumbar Spine Infections in a Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial Using the Centers for Disease Control Surgical Site Infection Criteria

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Table 1

Culture-positive surgical site infections following thoracolumbar spine surgery with drain placement

Organism	Depth of infection	Timing of Infection	Antibiotic Treatment Route	Revision Performed?	Incision and Drainage Performed?
MSSA	Superficial	Delayed	IV	No	No
MSSA	Deep	Acute & Delayed	PO & IV	No	Yes
MRSA	Deep	Acute	PO & IV	No	Yes
MRSA	Deep	Delayed	PO & IV	No	Yes
CNS	Superficial	Acute	PO & IV	No	No
CNS	Superficial	Acute	PO	No	No
CNS	Superficial	Acute	PO & IV	No	Yes
Propionibacterium acnes	Superficial	Acute	PO	No	No
Propionibacterium acnes	Superficial	Acute & Delayed	PO	No	Yes
Escherichia coli	Superficial	Acute	PO	No	Yes
Escherichia coli	Deep	Acute	IV	No	Yes
Enterococcus	Superficial	Acute	PO & IV	No	Yes
Enterobacter	Superficial	Acute	PO & IV	No	Yes
Klebsiella	Superficial and Deep	Acute	IV	No	Yes
Polymicrobial + CNS	Deep	Acute	PO & IV	No	Yes
Polymicrobial + Enterococcus	Superficial	Acute	PO & IV	No	Yes
Enterococcus + Candida albicans	Deep	Acute	IV	No	Yes
Gram-negative rods + Klebsiella + Enterococcus	Superficial	Delayed	PO & IV	No	No
Klebsiella + CNS	Superficial	Delayed	PO	Yes	No
Pseudomonas + CNS	Superficial	Delayed	IV	No	No

MSSA = Methicilin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus; MRSA = Methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; CNS = Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus; Acute = within 30 days of surgery; Delayed = after 30 days following surgery; Acute & Delayed = one acute infection + one delayed infection in the same patient; IV = intravenous; PO = by mouth.