Abstract
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the scrupulous hygiene rules and the restriction of contacts during the lockdown owing to the COVID-19 pandemic affected the rate and severity of surgical site infections (SSI) after vascular exposure in the groin at two Italian University Hospitals. METHODS: Starting from March 2020, strict hygiene measures for protection of health care workers (HCW) and patients from COVID-19 infection were implemented, and partly lifted in July 2020. The main exposure for analysis purposes was the period in which patients were operated. Accordingly, study subjects were divided into two groups for subsequent comparisons (preCOVID-19 era: March-June 2018-2019 versus COVID-19 era: March-June 2020). The primary endpoint was the occurrence of superficial and/or deep SSI within 30 days after surgery. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definitions were used to classify superficial and deep SSI. RESULTS: A total of 194 consecutive patients who underwent vascular exposure in the groin were retrospectively analyzed. Of those, 60 underwent surgery from April 1, 2018 to June 30 of the same year; 83 from April 1, 2019 to June 30 of the same year; and 51 from April 1, 2020 to June 30 of the same year. The mean age of the study cohort was 75 years and 140 (72%) were males. Patients who were operated in the COVID-19 era were less likely to develop SSI (10% vs. 28%; P = 0.008), including both deep SSI (4% vs. 13%; P = 0.04) and superficial SSI (6% vs. 15%; P = 0.05). After multivariate adjustments, being operated in the COVID-19 era was found to be a negative predictor for development of an SSI (odds ratio [OR] = 0.31; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.09-0.76; P < 0.001) or deep SSI (OR = 0.21; 95% CI = 0.03-0.98; P < 0.001). Operative time was also found as independent predictor for the development of deep SSI (OR = 1.21; 95%CI = 1.21-1.52; P = 0.02). Using binary logistic regression, there were no independent predictors of superficial SSI that could be identified. CONCLUSIONS: Vascular exposure in the groin carries a non-negligible risk of SSI. In this study, we provided important insights that are simple and easily viable precautions (such as the universal use of surgical masks both for patients and health care professionals during wound care, the widespread diffusion of hand sanitizers, and the reduction of the number of visitors in the surgical wards) could be promising and safe tools for SSI risk reduction.