Prevention of surgical site infections in spine surgery: an international survey of clinical practices among expert spine surgeons

Study Design: Questionnaire-based survey.Objectives: Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common complication in spine surgery but universal guidelines for SSI prevention are lacking. The objectives of this study are to depict a global status quo on implemented prevention strategies in spine surgery, common themes of practice and determine key areas for future research.Methods: An 80-item survey was distributed among spine surgeons worldwide via email. The questionnaire was designed and approved by an International Consensus Group on spine SSI. Consensus was defined as more than 60% of participants agreeing to a specific prevention strategy.Results: Four hundred seventy-two surgeons participated in the survey. Screening for Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is not common, whereas preoperative decolonization is performed in almost half of all hospitals. Body mass index (BMI) was not important for surgery planning. In contrast, elevated HbAIc level and hypoalbuminemia were often considered as reasons to postpone surgery. Cefazoline is the common drug for antimicrobial prophylaxis. Alcohol-based chlorhexidine is mainly used for skin disinfection. Double-gloving, wound irrigation, and tissue-conserving surgical techniques are routine in the operating room (OR). Local antibiotic administration is not common. Wound closure techniques and postoperative wound dressing routines vary greatly between the participating institutions.Conclusions: With this study we provide an international overview on the heterogeneity of SSI prevention strategies in spine surgery. We demonstrated a large heterogeneity for pre-, peri- and postoperative measures to prevent SSI. Our data illustrated the need for developing universal guidelines and for testing areas of controversy in prospective clinical trails.Scientific Assessment and Innovation in Neurosurgical Treatment Strategie

Integration of experimental facilities: A joint effort for establishing a common knowledge base in experimental work on hydrogen safety

International audienc

Integration of experimental facilities: A joint effort for establishing a common knowledge base in experimental work on hydrogen safety

In the area of hydrogen safety, research facilities are essential for the experimental investigation of relevant phenomena, for testing devices and safety concepts, as well as for the generation of validation data for the various numerical codes and models. Within the framework of the European HySafe Network of Excellence (NoE), the 'Integration of Experimental Facilities (IEF)' activity has provided basic support for joint experimental work. Even beyond the funding period of the HySafe NoE in the 6th Framework Program, IEF represents a long-lasting effort for the sustainable integration of experimental research capacities and expertise of the partners from different research fields. In order to achieve a high standard in the quality of experimental data provided by the partners, emphasis was put on the know-how transfer between the partners. On the one hand, documentation on the experimental capacities was prepared and analyzed. On the other hand, a wiki-based communication platform was established, supported by biannual workshops covering topics ranging from measurement technologies to safety issues. Based on the partners' contributions, a working document was created on best practice including the joint experimental knowledge of all partners with regard to experimental set-ups and instrumentation. The paper gives an overview of the IEF partners and the network activities over the last five years. (c) 2010 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved