LAUSR

OBJECTIVE To first explore the safety and efficacy of H2O2 in controlling blood loss and SSI after multi-segmental lumbar spine surgery. METHODS 2626 patients who underwent multi-segmental lumbar spinal surgery between January 2015 and January 2018 were included in this study. According to whether H2O2 irrigation was applied, they were divided into control group (1345 patients) and experimental group (1281 patients). Besides the demographic parameters, the laboratory examination results and surgery related information such as operative time, numbers of operated levels, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, postoperative SSI, extubation time and perioperative complications were recorded. RESULTS No significant differences were seen regarding demographic parameters, laboratory examination results, comorbidities and surgical related information. The extubation time and postoperative drain collection were lower in the experimental group (3.6±0.5 days vs. 4.1±0.6, p=0.402; 251.8±67.5 vs. 291.8±71.3, p=0.013). In the control group, the rate of SSI was 2.4% (32/1345), including 17 superficial wound infections and 15 deep wound infections. In the experimental group, the SSI rate was 1.4% (18/1281), including 15 patients with superficial wound infection and 3 with deep wound infection. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism, especially in the experimental group (66.7% vs. 50%). There was no significant difference between both groups in the perioperative complications such as hematencephalon, DVT, PE, and MI (p>0.05, respectively). Pneumocephalus was not observed in either group. CONCLUSION The application of H2O2 in PLIF can reduce the blood loss and SSI after surgery, which is quite beneficial for controlling the increasing number of vancomycin-resistant bacteria.