Nasal Decolonization of Staphylococcus Aureus and the Risk of Surgical Site Infection After Surgery: A Meta-Analysis
Abstract Aim: To assess the effects of nasal decontamination on preventing surgical site infections (SSIs) in people who are S aureus carriers undergoing different types of surgeries. Methods: Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified through systematic searches of the PubMed, Embase, Web of science, and the Cochrane Library databases. The risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated and the effects model was chosen according to the heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses were performed according to different types of surgeries that S aureus carriers were applied.Results: Twenty RCTs published between 1996 and 2019 involving 10526 patients were included. Pooled results showed that the overall SSIs and pulmonary surgery SSIs presented with a statistical difference in measures of nasal decontamination (RR=0.59 and 0.47, respectively, both p<0.01). However, the associations between nasal decolonization and increased risks of SSIs in orthopedics surgery or cardiovascular surgery remained insignificant in studies.Conclusion: It seems that nasal decolonization of Staphylococcus aureus may be associated with a reduction of SSI in these patients, especially in patients receiving pulmonary surgeries.