Efficacy of Surgical Preparations in Lumbar Spine Surgery

Efficacy of Surgical Preparations in Lumbar Spine Surgery

The purpose of this study is to 1) identify the common bacterial flora found on the skin overlying the lumbar spine, and 2) evaluate the efficacy of readily available skin-preparation solutions in the elimination of bacterial pathogens from the surgical site following skin preparation (DuraPrep versus ChloraPrep).

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery (discectomy, laminectomy, fusion, etc).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Open wound at the incision site,
• Abrasion in the vicinity of the incision site,
• An active infection at or near the surgical site, or
• An active infection elsewhere in the body.