The Effect of Incise Drape on the Incidence of Surgical Site Infection following Lumbar Spine Surgeries

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of incise drape (ID) on the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) following lumbar vertebrae surgeries. This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 88 patients who were candidates for lumbar vertebrae surgery at Alzahra hospital in Isfahan, Iran. The patients were randomly assigned to two equal groups of with and without incise drape. Surgical site was evaluated for the incidence of superficial and deep infections on days 2, 14, and 30 after surgery according to criteria defined by the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) tests, and bacterial culture of discharges of patient's wounds were done. Findings: Of 44 patients in group with incise drape, only 3 cases (6.8%), and of 44 in group without incise drape, only 2 cases (4.5%) had superficial infection at the second day after surgery, and there was no significant difference in the incidence of infection between the two groups (P = 0.50). In addition, at 14 and 30 days after surgery, no infection was observed in two groups. There is no significant difference in the incidence of surgical site infection between the two groups, and making a definite decision about using or not using of incise drape requires further studies