Son HJ, et al. - The risk factors for surgical site infection were investigated by the researchers among patients undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer. The results shed light on the connection between the patient nutritional and hematological markers with the risk of surgical site infection after major surgery for head and neck cancer.

Methods

• The enrollment consisted of 369 patients who underwent surgery for head and neck cancer.
• An estimation was conducted of the hematological and nutritional parameters, preoperatively and postoperatively.
• Through the univariate and multivariate analyses, the risk factors for surgical site infection were identified.

Results

• Among the 369 patients, 104 (28.2%) presented with surgical site infections: 45 (12.2%) superficial incisional; 6 (1.6%) deep incisional; and 53 (14.4%) organ/space infections.
• History of radiotherapy, weight loss at diagnosis (>5%), preoperative hypoalbuminemia, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), reconstructive surgery, and tracheostomy were unveiled to be the independent factors predictive of surgical site infection, as divulged by the multivariate analyses.
• A 3-fold higher risk of surgical site infection was illustrated among patients with preoperative low serum albumin levels (<3.3 g/L).