Postoperative Spine Infections: Prevention and Treatment

Several patient-related risk factors for postoperative spine infections exist. Those modifiable risk factors, such as malnutrition and glucose control, should be optimized before surgery with the hopes of lessening any associated infection risk. Furthermore, other operative variables, such as antibiotic administration, should also be closely monitored. However, postoperative infections always remain inevitable. Prompt diagnosis and proper treatment is the key to reduce any associated morbidity for the patient. The tenants of treatments remain surgical debridement with and without implant removal, and antibiotic therapy.