Risk Factors and Outcomes of Central Nervous System Infection After Spinal Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To investigate the risk factor associated with central nervous system infection, a rare and dire complication after spinal surgery.

Methods: Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to screen for the independent risk factors. According to the different administration methods of antibiotics, patients were divided into intravenous and intrathecal groups. The differences in time needed for body temperature, white blood cells (WBC), and C-reactive protein (CRP) to return to normal and the time of antibiotic application were compared between the 2 groups. In addition, the differences in WBC, neutrophil ratio, CRP, procalcitonin in blood, and WBC in cerebrospinal fluid were compared before intrathecal injection, after the first one, and the last one. The incidence of complications in the 2 groups was observed.

Results: Dural tears, laminectomy, and operation time >3 hours were identified as independent risk factors. The time needed for body temperature, WBC, and CRP to return to normal and the antibiotic application time were significantly different between the 2 groups (all P < 0.05). Before and after the first intrathecal injection and after the last intrathecal injection, the differences in WBCs, neutrophil ratios, CRP, procalcitonin in blood, and cerebrospinal fluid-WBC were statistically significant in overall and pairwise comparisons (P < 0.05). Complications occurred in 2 and 14 cases, respectively.

Conclusions: The independent risk factors for central nervous system infection after spinal surgery were a dural tear, laminectomy, and operation time > 3 hours. Combined intravenous and intrathecal injections of antibiotics led to a better effect than intravenous injection alone; however, this approach was associated with more complications.