Comparison of Microbial Count on Various Surfaces in Operating Rooms at Different Times of the Day.

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of microbial contamination of surfaces in the operating room (OR) and to understand the relationship between time and location of contamination. Five OR surfaces were sampled at two time points on three consecutive Mondays and Thursdays. Each sample was cultured on a blood agar plate and introduced to a liquid nutrient broth. The most sterile surface was the OR lights with only one positive growth sample at each time. At both times, the most commonly contaminated surface was the staff keyboard. Coagulase-negative staphylococcus was the most common isolated species. Contamination rate of OR surfaces was not affected by time of day or day of the week. Simple cleaning and daily decontamination of staff keyboards can significantly reduce bacterial burdens and should be of primary importance to optimize OR sterility. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 27(4):281-285, 2018).

The impact of preoperative opioid use on outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative opioid use has been correlated to suboptimal outcomes in orthopedic surgery. This study evaluated the effect of preoperative opioid use on outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR). METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of 79 patients who underwent arthroscopic RCR; of these, 31 with a history of preoperative opioid use were compared with a control group of 48 patients without a history of preoperative opioid use. Preoperative and postoperative patient-reported outcomes and functional scores were compared. RESULTS: Both cohorts significantly improved on all patient-reported shoulder scores; however, the nonopioid group demonstrated significantly better postoperative patient-reported outcome scores (P = .015) and external rotation measurement (P = .008). Functional outcomes also significantly improved from preoperatively to postoperatively for forward flexion, but no differences were seen between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with a history of preoperative opioid use can still achieve significant improvements in outcomes after arthroscopic RCR, although not to the same extent as opioid-naïve patients. Therefore, orthopedic surgeons must consider a patient's preoperative opioid use and temper expectations with regard to outcomes so that they are able to set realistic postoperative goals for patients undergoing RCR.