Prevention of Neurosurgical Wound Infections

Pilot Project: Prevention of Neurosurgical Wound Infections

The goal of this study is to determine whether injecting the antibiotic vancomycin directly into surgical wounds can decrease the rate of infection following implantation of neurosurgical devices.

Inclusion Criteria:

• deep brain stimulators (DBS)
• spinal cord stimulators (SCS)
• motor cortex stimulators (MCS)
• vagus nerve stimulators (VNS)
• peripheral nerve stimulators (PNS)

Exclusion Criteria:

• allergies to vancomycin
• immunocompromise or taking immunosuppressant drugs
• currently taking aminoglycoside antibiotics, such as amikacin, gentamicin, neomycin, streptomycin or tobramycin
• diagnosed renal failure
• currently undergoing chemotherapy
• pregnancy
• non-english speakers
• unable to return for follow-up, or unable to be contacted by telephone