Wound infections following spinal fusion with posterior segmental spinal instrumentation.

Twenty-three of 238 patients (9.7%) developed wound infections following segmental spinal instrumentation. When the infected group and a matched control group were compared, the infected group had a significantly higher number of patients with cerebral palsy and myelodysplasia (nonambulatory), patients with wound hematomas, patients with fusions that extended into the sacral region, and patients who were incontinent of urine. A high incidence of infections with gram-negative aerobic bacilli correlated with the extension of the surgery into the sacral region and bowel and/or bladder incontinence. Prophylactic antibiotics with broader coverage for gram-negative bacilli may be warranted for these procedures. Postoperative wound infections were managed by surgical drainage and debridement as well as antibiotics. Removal of the hardware was not necessary to control the infection in these patients who underwent segmental spinal instrumentation.