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EVIDENCE FOR PRACTICE
Evidence appraisal ofSavage JW, Weatherford BM, Sugrue PA, et al. Efcacy of surgical preparation solutions in lumbar spine surgery. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2012;94(6):490-494.
Evidence Appraisal
Score
II B
Editors note: Reading research and incorporating valid research results into practice is a vital part of ensuring that perioperative nursing practice is evidence based. The AORN Research Evidence Appraisal Tool, which was adapted with permission from the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Model and Guidelines, can help perioperative nurses evaluate research. This tool is used to evaluate the evidence upon which AORNs recommended practices are based. The tool can be used to appraise the level of evidence and quality of evidence for a single research study or a summary of multiple research studies. An abbreviated tool using only the sections of the tool relevant to the study appraised is included in this article. Each section of the tool is discussed to help readers understand why the study received a particular appraisal score and what that rating means to perioperative nursing practice. Individuals intending to put this studys ndings into practice are encouraged to review the original article to determine its applicability to their setting.
Postoperative wound infection continues to be a major concern, and factors that affect healing of surgical wounds have long been
investigated. The researchers in this study hypothesized that microbial ora found on the skin over the lumbar area may be different from that found in other areas of the body; thus, studies that examined the elimination of bacteria from other surgical sites may not apply to surgery of the lumbar
spine. Because wound infection after spinal surgery can be devastating, determining the type and amount of bacteria present and reducing the bacterial count with a surgical skin preparation solution before surgery is vital.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: STUDYBecause this is a report of a single research study, the Level of Evidence: Study portion of the AORN Research Evidence Appraisal Tool was used to appraise this study (Figure 1).
Setting. The surgery and research were performed in the Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
Sample size and composition. The researchers recruited 100 consecutive patients scheduled for elective lumbar surgery between February and...