Association between suction tip culture and surgical site infection in elective clean orthopedic lower limb surgeries

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) can be caused by various factors, including contamination of the surgical field. Perioperative cultures can be employed in clean orthopedic procedures to detect bacterial contamination that may occur during surgery. Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the correlation between suction tip cultures and surgical wounds in clean orthopedic surgeries. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Yenepoya Medical College Hospital, Mangalore, Karnataka, with 250 patients in whom drain tips were sent for culture and followed up for 3 months to assess for SSI. Skin commensals from the nasal and groin samples were analyzed for the presence of bacteria. Results: A total of 250 patients meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included. Thirty patients were positive for drain tip culture, and 12 (4.8%) patients had SSI during the 3rd month follow-up period, showing a statistically significant relationship between drain tip culture and SSIs (P=0.001). Skin commensals constituted 67% (nasal) and 100% in the groin of perioperative contaminants, accounting for 4.8% of SSIs. Conclusion: Suction drain tip culture and skin commensal analysis may be good predictors of SSIs. Intraoperative surgical site contaminants can be identified using perioperative cultures. Timely administration of suitable antibiotics and local wound care for perioperative contamination can help minimize the incidence of SSI.