Powdered Intrawound Vancomycin in Open Fractures Trial

The purpose of this randomized control trial is to compare the rate of post-operative infection in patients with open fractures in upper or lower extremity long bones randomized to receive intra-operative intrawound topical vancomycin powder on their open fractures in addition to the current best practice of intravenous antibiotics with irrigation and debridement compared to intravenous antibiotics with irrigation and debridement alone during definitive operative fixation of the fracture.

Primary Objective: To evaluate the effect of intra-operative intrawound topical vancomycin powder on open fractures in addition to the current best practice of intravenous antibiotics with irrigation and debridement compared to intravenous antibiotics with irrigation and debridement alone during definitive fixation of the fracture on deep surgical site infection, defined as a post-operative surgical infection requiring return to the operating room for irrigation and debridement with or without hardware removal/revision within the first six months following surgery. Secondary Objectives: To evaluate the effect of intra-operative intrawound topical vancomycin powder on superficial surgical site infection, defined as a post-operative infection that required antibiotic treatment but no return to the operating room, readmissions to hospital for post-operative surgical infection (deep or superficial), and hardware failure, defined as hardware loosening, loss of fixation, hardware fracture, or hardware migration, visualized either on imaging or found intra-operatively. To evaluate differences in microbe characteristics in cultures taken intra-operatively in the take-back irrigation and debridement surgery in patients with deep surgical site infection. To evaluate if the effect of intra-operative intrawound topical vancomycin powder changes based on fracture and patient characteristics: upper extremity versus lower extremity, Gustilo Classification, patients with documented Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization, and mechanism of injury. To evaluate if certain fracture and patient characteristics: upper extremity versus lower extremity, Gustilo Classification, patients with documented Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization, and by their mechanism of injury increases the risk of infection in both the treatment and control group.