title: A preoperative stay in an intensive care unit is associated with an increased risk of surgical site infection in neonates.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neonates are considered as immunologically immature. There are no specific guidelines for surgical antibiotic prophylaxis in this population since data concerning the risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) are lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 40-month retrospective single-center study that included all consecutive neonates undergoing surgery was performed. The variables that could influence the rate of SSI were analyzed by multivariate analysis in order to determine the independent risk factors for SSI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survey included 286 neonates (91 F/195 M). Median age, term, and weight were 10 (0-19) days, 38 (37-39) weeks, 3 (2.7-3.5) kg, respectively. Sixteen percent of the neonates were premature. Surgery was mostly abdominal (71%). Prophylactic antibiotic was given in 66.4% of the cases and was highly variable (amoxicillin-clavulanate 20.3%, first generation cephalosporin 26.2%, second generation cephalosporin 11.9%, imidazole derivatives 13.6%, aminoglycosides 12.6%, vancomycin 0.7%, and ticarcillin-clavulanate 3.1%). The rate of SSI was 3.8%. Only two variables were identified as independent risk factors for SSI: gestational age OR: 0.821 (0.690-0.977) and preoperative hospitalization in an intensive care unit OR: 8.433 (1.031-69.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative stay in an intensive care unit and, to a lesser degree, low gestational age are associated with an increased SSI rate.
authors.affiliation: C.H.U. Nantes, Service d'Anesthésie et de Réanimation Chirurgicale, Hôtel-Dieu Hôpital Mère Enfant, Place Alexis Ricordeau, Nantes, F-44093 France. corinne.lejus@chu-nantes.fr
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lejus
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dumont
authors.forename: Chloé Le
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Gall
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guillaud
authors.forename: Christelle Gras-Le
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Guen
authors.forename: Mard-David
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Leclair
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asehnoune
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Antibiotic; Neonates; Prophylaxis; Surgical site infection