Supplemental Perioperative Oxygen and the Risk of Surgical Wound Infection<SUBTITLE>A Randomized Controlled Trial</SUBTITLE>

ContextSupplemental perioperative oxygen has been variously reported to halve or double the risk of surgical wound infection.ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that supplemental oxygen reduces infection risk in patients following colorectal surgery.Design, Setting, and PatientsA double-blind, randomized controlled trial of 300 patients aged 18 to 80 years who underwent elective colorectal surgery in 14 Spanish hospitals from March 1, 2003, to October 31, 2004. Wound infections were diagnosed by blinded investigators using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Baseline patient characteristics, anesthetic treatment, and potential confounding factors were recorded.InterventionsPati…

WHO needs high FIO2?

World Health Organization and the United States Center for Disease Control have recently recommended the use of 0.8 FIO2 in all adult surgical patients undergoing general anaesthesia, to prevent surgical site infections. This recommendation has arisen several discussions: As a matter of fact, there are numerous studies with different results about the effect of FIO2 on surgical site infection. Moreover, the clinical effects of FIO2 are not limited to infection control. We asked some prominent authors about their comments regarding the recent recommendations.

Supplemental Oxygen and Risk of Surgical Wound Infection—Reply

Supplemental Perioperative Oxygen and the Risk of Surgical Wound Infection: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT Three hundred patients were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized, controlled study designed to investigate the ability of supplemental perioperative oxygen to reduce wound infection. Participants were age 18 to 80 years, had no coexisting serious medical conditions, and were scheduled to undergo elective colorectal surgery at one of 14 participating hospitals in Spain. No patients undergoing minor or laparoscopic surgery were included. Anesthesia and antibiotic prophylaxis were standardized for the study. Patients were randomized by computer-generated codes to receive an oxygen/air mixture of 30% or 80% fraction of inspired oxygen (F102) intraoperatively and postoperatively for 6…