Reusing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Did Not Increase Surgical Site Infection in Trauma Surgical Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Michigan Trauma Centers.

BACKGROUND: Reuse of personal protective equipment (PPE), masks more specifically, during the COVID-19 pandemic was common. The primary objective of this study was to compare pre-pandemic surgical site infection (SSI) rates prior to reuse of PPE, to pandemic SSI rates after reuse of PPE in trauma surgical patients. METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis collected from the Michigan Trauma Quality Improvement Program database was performed. The pre-COVID cohort was from 03/01/2019 to 12/31/2019 and post-COVID cohort was 03/01/2020 to 12/31/2020. Descriptive statistics were used to assess differences between variables in each cohort. RESULTS: Nearly half (49.8%) of our cohort (n= 48,987) was in the post-COVID group. There was no significant difference in frequency of operative intervention between groups (p > 0.05). There was no significant increase (p > 0.05) between pre- and post-COVID cohorts for superficial, deep, or organ space SSI when reuse of masks was common. DISCUSSION: Reuse of PPE did not lead to an increase in SSI in surgical patients. These findings are consistent with previous studies, but the first to be described in the trauma surgical patient population. Studies such as this one may help inform further discussion regarding PPE usage as we continue to emerge from the current pandemic with the continuous threat of future pandemics.