Role of operating room air pressure variability on development of surgical-site infections in surgical procedures classified as colon and abdominal hysterectomy by the National Healthcare Safety Network: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND

The relationship between colon and hysterectomy surgical-site infections (SSIs) and air pressure variability inside operating rooms (ORs) during procedures is understudied.

METHODS

Our retrospective cohort study featured patients who underwent procedures assigned National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) colon or abdominal hysterectomy codes. The primary exposure was percentage of procedure time out of pressure range. NHSN criteria were used to identify SSIs. We used multi-variable binary logistic regression modelling to analyse the association between the exposure and SSIs. Sensitivity models of more homogeneous patients (e.g. only colon patients and only patients with at least one instance of pressure <1 Pa) were also conducted.

RESULTS

Of 1663 patients, 933 (56%) underwent colon surgery and 730 (44%) had hysterectomies. After multi-variable adjustment, no association between OR pressure deviations and SSIs was identified (odds ratio for 1% increase of procedure time pressure out of range [95% confidence interval]: 1.05 [0.46, 2.24]); this null association remained for the aforementioned sensitivity models.

CONCLUSIONS

No significant association was observed between OR air pressure variability and development of colon and hysterectomy SSIs.