Comparison of Antibiotic Protocols in Spine Patients With Postoperative Drains

Patients likely to receive postoperative spinal drains were enrolled and randomized preoperatively to receive one of two postoperative antibiotic treatments, either for 24 hours after surgery or for the duration of time the spinal drain was in place. If patients did not receive at least one spinal drain during surgery, they were excluded from the infection analysis and received the institutional standard of 24 hours of postoperative antibiotics. Patients that did receive drains were treated according to their randomization and followed for a minimum of one year for the incidence of surgical site infection. The diagnosis of surgical site infection was determined using the definition provided for the Center for Disease Control (CDC). All patients that developed surgical site infections were treated as appropriate by the attending physician.