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Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study groups

From: Effectiveness of topical vancomycin in the prevention of spinal surgical site infections: a retrospective cohort study

Baseline characteristics

Vancomycin treated

N = 81

Vancomycin untreated

N = 375

Difference (p-value)

Age (years)

Median

50

45

0.06

IQR

27

22

Sex no. (%)

Male

47 (58.0)

249 (66.4)

0.19

Female

34 (42.0)

126 (33.6)

BMI (kg/m2)

Median

29.7

29.4

0.52

IQR

8.4

7.2

Type of surgery no. (%)

Lumbar

58 (72.0)

285 (76.0)

< 0.01

Thoracic

5 (6.0)

5 (1.0)

Thoracolumbar

15 (18.0)

30 (8.0)

Cervical

3 (4.0)

55 (15.0)

Smoking history no. (%)

Never smokers

60 (74.0)

232 (62.0)

0.12

Current smokers

19 (23.0)

125 (33.3)

 

Former smokers

2 (3.0)

18 (5.0)

 

Diabetes mellitus no. (%)

20 (25.0)

64 (17.0)

0.14

Renal functions no. (%)

Normal

79 (98.0)

371 (99.0)

0.28

Abnormal

2 (2.0)

4 (1.0)

 

Hypertension no. (%)

29 (36.0)

98 (26.0)

0.10

History of spinal infection no. (%)

4 (5.0)

3 (1.0)

0.02

History of spinal surgeries no. (%)

19 (23.0)

54 (14.0)

0.06

History of antibiotic use within 90 days before index date no. (%)

13 (16.0)

28 (8.0)

0.03

Prolonged operation time no. (%)

71 (88.0)

29 (8.0)

< 0.01

Surgical approach no. (%)

Anterior

0 (0.0)

31 (8.0)

< 0.01

Posterior

81 (100.0)

344 (92.0)

Implant no. (%)

72 (89.0)

184 (49.0)

< 0.01

Alcohol as disinfectant no. (%)

70 (86.0)

303 (81.0)

0.30

Prophylactic gentamicin solution for irrigation no. (%)

68 (84.0)

281 (75.0)

0.11

Pre-operative white blood cell counts (in 10^3/µl)

Median

7.5

8.2

0.08

IQR

3.8

3.1

Pre-operative neutrophil counts (%)

Median

54.7

57.4

0.13

IQR

13.9

13.9