Effect of Empiric Treatment of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in Neurosurgical Trauma Patients on Surgical Site and Clostridium difficile Infection

Abstract BACKGROUND Although empiric treatment of urinary tract colonized patients remains a frequent practice in neurosurgery, the value of this practice remains debatable. OBJECTIVE To analyze the effect of screening and treatment of bacteriuria on surgical site infections, incidence of Clostridium difficile , and mortality in neurosurgical trauma patients. METHODS Database queries and direct patient chart reviews were used to gather patient chart data. T-tests, chi-square tests, binary logistic regressions, and propensity matched cohorts comparisons were performed. RESULTS A total of 3563 admitted neurosurgical trauma patients were identified over an 8 yr period (1524 cranial, 1778 spinal, and 261 combined craniospinal diagnoses). Nine hundred ninety-one patients underwent an operative neurosurgical procedure. Urinalysis was significantly associated with antibiotics exposure in both operative and nonoperative patients ( P < .001). Operative patients treated with empiric antibiotics did not have a reduced risk of wound infection ( P = .21), including in a propensity matched cohort ( P = .52). Patients treated with empiric antibiotics had significantly increased rates of C. difficile infection ( P < .001). At last follow-up, neurosurgical trauma patients that developed C. difficile had an increased risk of death ( P < .005); antibiotic exposure and death were also significantly associated ( P = .018). The association of C. difficile with empiric antibiotics remained significant in a propensity-matched cohort ( P = .0024). CONCLUSION The routine use of urinalysis and empiric urinary antibiotics for bacteriuria in neurosurgical trauma patients without urinary symptoms increases risk of exposure to antibiotics does not decrease rates of wound infection, and is associated with increased rates of C. difficile infection and death.