Use of wound V.A.C. therapy in pediatric patients with infected spinal wounds: a retrospective review.

BACKGROUND: Deep wound infection in patients that have had a posterior spinal fusion for scoliosis is a major complication in pediatric spine surgery. PURPOSE: To explore characteristics of pediatric patients who had a posterior spinal fusion with segmental spinal instrumentation and bone graft and subsequently developed deep spinal wound infections that were treated with wound vacuum-assisted closure (V.A.C.) therapy METHOD: Retrospective Chart Review. Characteristics of patients' age, gender, comorbid illnesses, identified bacteria, antibiotics, time on V.A.C. device, infection recurrence, any instrumentation removal, and additional surgical intervention was collected. FINDINGS: There were 249 patients who had spinal fusions from December 2002 through January 2006, and 11 developed an infection after their spinal fusion and had the use of the V.A.C. device. Those who developed infection within 1 year of their fusion had instrument retention. Wound closure occurred in all cases that used V.A.C. therapy.