title: Risk factors for surgical site infection in cervico-facial oncological surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infection after head and neck oncological surgery is relatively frequent, and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The primary objective of this prospective study was to determine risk factors for Surgical Site Infection (SSI) in major head and neck cancer surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population of 137 head and neck cancer patients, of the Portuguese Institute of Oncology Francisco Gentil (Lisbon, Portugal), was prospectively studied in order to ascertain the correlation between 31 known risk factors and the presence of SSI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of SSI was 10.9%, with all of the infections being of the deep incisional type. A discriminant analysis and multiple logistic regression methods identified pre-surgical tracheostomy (p < 0.001), previous surgery (p = 0.001) and length of pre-operative hospital stay (p < 0.001) as the most significant risk factors for surgical site infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In order to minimize the risk of post-operative SSI in the context of head and neck cancer patients, particular attention should be paid to patients submitted to tracheostomy before surgery, to those submitted to previous oncological surgery, and to patients who are forced to remain in the hospital for prolonged periods of time before surgery.
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery Department (Head of the Department: Dr. Jorge Rosa-Santos, M.D.), Instituto Português Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Rua Professor Lima Bastos, 1099-023 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Tiago Filipe Santos
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Tanya Alexandra
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Soares Melancia
authors.forename: Carlos Manuel
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Zagalo Fernandes Ribeiro
authors.forename: José Américo
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Almeida de Brito
authors.forename: Susana Sofia
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Abreu Miguel
authors.forename: Diogo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: André Abreu Esteves Bogalhão do Casal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019980:Amoxicillin-Potassium Clavulanate Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D003646:Debridement; D004203:Disinfection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D011206:Povidone-Iodine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012086:Reoperation; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D019980:Amoxicillin-Potassium Clavulanate Combination; D011206:Povidone-Iodine