This is a single-arm prospective trial of an intra- and postoperative topical antiseptic bundle. The study will recruit patients undergoing an open surgical resection of the upper aerodigestive tract requiring a planed vascularized reconstruction, which may be either pedicled and/or free flap. The objectives are to evaluate antimicrobial effects of a perioperative topical antiseptic bundle and to identify the source of surgical site infection as well as the rate of 30-day adverse events in head and neck cancer.
The study design is a single-arm prospective trial. It will investigate the microbial effects of topical antisepsis on upper aerodigestive tract and reconstructive surgery in head and neck cancer patients. The primary hypothesis is that topical antisepsis will significantly decrease oral bacterial load and the presence of pathogenic organisms. Secondary outcomes will include identification of the source of the infectious bacterial organisms, surgical and non-surgical site infections, serious topical antisepsis-related complications, serious adverse events, and hospital revisits. The study populations will include head and neck cancer patients age 18 or greater undergoing head and neck reconstructive surgery in which there is a communication between the upper aerodigestive tract and the cervical skin which requires a planned vascularized reconstruction, either a regional pedicled flap or a free tissue transfer. The accrual goal will be 25 patients. Data collection will occur in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Patients will be enrolled during their preoperative clinic visit. Each patient will be followed for study outcomes until 30 days postoperatively.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
25
Preoperative: The patient's dentition, or mandibular alveolus in the absence of dentition, will be brushed for two minutes with 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate. Intraoperative: The wound will be irrigated for 60 seconds with 0.05% chlorhexidine after it is irrigated with povidone-iodine. Postoperative: Patients will swish and spit/suction 15mL 0.12% Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG) oral rinses for 30 seconds every six hours for two days (8 total administrations)
Preoperative: The oral cavity and oropharyngeal mucosa as well as the nasal vestibules will be coated with 5% povidone-iodine which will stand for at least three minutes prior to incision. Intraoperative: The wound will be irrigated for 60 seconds with 10% povidone-iodine.
Froedtert Hospital & the Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Oral microbial abundance in preoperative samples measured by quantitative bacteriology.
Bacteria will be measured as colony forming unit/mL.
Time frame: Baseline (immediately preoperative)
Oral microbial abundance in preoperative samples measured by 16s sequencing.
This will be measured by the number of operational taxonomic units.
Time frame: Baseline (immediately preoperative)
Oral microbial abundance in intraoperative samples prior to antiseptic irrigations measured by quantitative bacteriology.
Bacteria will be measured as colony forming unit/mL.
Time frame: During surgery before wound irrigation
Oral microbial abundance in intraoperative samples prior to antiseptic irrigations measured by 16s sequencing.
This will be measured by the number of operational taxonomic units.
Time frame: During surgery before wound irrigation
Oral microbial abundance in samples after intraoperative antiseptic irrigations measured by quantitative bacteriology.
Bacteria will be measured as colony forming unit/mL.
Time frame: During surgery following wound irrigation
Oral microbial abundance in samples after intraoperative antiseptic irrigations measured by 16s sequencing.
This will be measured by the number of operational taxonomic units.
Time frame: During surgery following wound irrigation
Oral microbial abundance in postoperative samples measured by quantitative bacteriology.
Bacteria will be measured as colony forming unit/mL.
Time frame: Postoperative day 3.
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Postoperative: \~10g 3% tetracycline ointment will be placed into the oral cavity to coat the dorsal tongue and any oral suture lines every six hours for two days (8 total doses).
Oral microbial abundance in postoperative samples measured by 16s sequencing.
This will be measured by the number of operational taxonomic units.
Time frame: Postoperative day 3.
The number of subjects with surgical site infection
Surgical site infection diagnosis must be performed by the attending physician and occur within 30 days post-operatively. Diagnosis will include either: 1) purulent drainage from incision, 2) incision spontaneously dehisced or opened by the surgeon because of infection, 3) abscess or other evidence of infection involving a deep incision; or 4) surgical site infection diagnosis by the surgeon.
Time frame: 30 days
Number of subjects with 30-day hospital revisits
Defined as any unanticipated hospital readmission within 30 days of the index surgery.
Time frame: Up to 30 days
Number of subjects with non-surgical site infections
An infection of the tracheobronchial tree, urinary tract, or blood, as determined by the isolation of pathogenic microorganisms from these sites in the setting of clinical signs and symptoms of infection in accordance with the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) criteria. Pneumonia, clinical sepsis, and symptomatic urinary tract infection without an identified pathogenic microorganism may be diagnosed according to the INICC guidelines.
Time frame: 30 days
The number of subjects with serious topical antisepsis-related complications
Serious adverse event is deemed related to or probably related to the topical antiseptic agent. When topical antiseptic-related complications are suspected by the attending physician, the infectious disease service will be consulted, and a serious topical antiseptic-related complication will be diagnosed based on their recommendations.
Time frame: 30 days