STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the usefulness of postoperative suction drainage tip cultures as a method of predicting the development of deep wound infections after thoracolumbar surgery using pedicle screws. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: The primary diagnostic elements of post-operative spinal infections are a high degree of clinical suspicion by the surgeon combined with aspiration and culture of the suspected infection sites. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the results of cultures on postoperative suction drainage tips from a total of 471 thoracolumbar surgery cases. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value and investigated the isolated pathogens. In addition, we performed quantitative analyses of serum C-reactive protein using Turbidimetry. RESULTS: The post-operative infection rate was 4.0%. The most common isolated pathogen of the true positive cases was staphylococcus aureus, which was found in 3 cases (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus in 2 cases); and that of the false positive cases was coagulase-negative staphylococcus in 5 cases. The sensitivity of the suction drainage tip culture was 52.6%, the specificity was 96.3%, the positive predictive value was 37.0%, and the negative predictive value was 98.0%. In cases of C-reactive protein, true positive and false negative cases followed the same course, where the CRP decreased slowly for the first week but remained elevated persistently at the 14th postoperative day. CONCLUSIONS: Culture of the suction drainage tips could not predict the development of postoperative deep wound infections, but it had more significance in the exclusion of deep wound infections. We concluded that careful observation for other signs of deep wound infections are necessary when a clinically significant pathogens are isolated.
C-Reactive Protein ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Suction* ; Wound Infection* ; Wounds and Injuries*

BACKGROUND: This study was done to analyze the treatment outcomes of adult lymphoblastic lymphoma patients according to the risk groups and the treatment regimens. METHODS: The analysis was performed on twenty patients histologically diagnosed as lymphoblastic lymphoma at Seoul National University Hospital. The high-risk group was defined as patients with Ann Arbor stage IV with bone marrow, central nervous system (CNS) involvement or initial serum lactate dehydrogenase level more than 1.5 times upper normal limits. Twelve patients received dose-intensive Stanford/Northern California Oncology Group (NCOG) regimen consisted of four phase of induction, CNS prophylaxis, consolidation, and maintenance. Eight patients received conventional dose regimen, either six courses of vincristine, bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, prednisolone, procarbazine (COPBLAM-V) or cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, prednisolone, L-asparaginase (CHOP/L-ASP) with CNS prophylaxis. We analyzed the response rate and the survival rate according to the risk groups and treatment regimens. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 90% (75% complete response). In low-risk group, the complete response (CR) rate was 100% irrespective of treatment regimen. In high-risk group, conventional dose regimen did not produce CR. Four of the six high-risk patients receiving dose-intensive regimen achieved CR. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 52% in total patients. The 5-year OS rate were 77% and 30% for low- and high-risk group, respectively (P=0.242). In low-risk group, conventional dose regimen showed similar survival outcomes compared with that of dose intensive regimen. Toxicity profile was more favorable in the patients with conventional dose regimens. CONCLUSION: For low-risk patients, conventional dose regimen showed similar effect in comparison with dose-intensive regimen. However, for high-risk patients, CR was observed only with dose-intensive regimen. Multi-center clinical trials are necessary to confirm our observation.
Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans