@entity167 -based hand rub and XXXX after elective neurosurgery: an intervention.

@entity167 @entity1 @entity281
BACKGROUND: Controlled studies on the effect of @entity167 -based hand rub before and after each @entity1 contact on @entity281 ( @entity281 ) among neurosurgical @entity1 are scarce. Aim : To evaluate the effect of @entity167 -based hand rub before and after each @entity1 contact on @entity281 after elective neurosurgical procedures. SETTING AND DESIGN: Department of Neurosurgery, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala. An intervention study using a 'before-after' design. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two 9-month study periods were compared; between these periods, an infection-control protocol incorporating an @entity167 -based hand rub was implemented for a period of 3 months and continued thereafter. Consecutive @entity1 who underwent neurosurgery between January and September 2006 (control group, before protocol) and between January and September 2007 (intervention group, after protocol) were included. Outcome measures included @entity281 rates, profile of microorganisms and @entity1 survival. Statistical Analysis : SPSS statistics version 17.0. RESULTS: A total of 1,899 operated cases were reviewed. The @entity1 in the control and intervention groups were similar with regard to sex, age and type of neurosurgery. The @entity281 rates were 22 (2.3%) out of 974 in the control group and 14 (1.5%) out of 925 in the intervention group (P = 0.2). @entity1 survival rates were 97.6% (control) and 98.3% (intervention). Post hoc power calculation for an alpha value equal to 0.05, the power obtained was 24.9%, showing inadequacy of sample size to get significant results. To achieve 80% power, the sample size required is about 4,800 each for the control and intervention groups. CONCLUSION: Use of @entity167 -based hand rub before and after each @entity1 contact in the neurosurgical intensive care unit did not show a significant reduction in @entity281 in the present study. This lack of difference between the two groups may be related to the inadequate sample size. The other possibility is that both the strategies are of equal efficacy for prevention of SSIs.
