Vancomycin + Cefazolin for Surgical Site Infections
(PICS Trial)
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?
There is clinical equipoise about the question of whether antibiotic prophylaxis should be given for a short period or an extended period of time as reflected by inconsistencies in major guidelines, current practices at Canadian centers, and as concluded in the three systematic reviews. There also is clinical equipoise on whether the addition of vancomycin to routine cefazolin prophylaxis can further reduce s-SSI rates. A short duration of combined antimicrobial prophylaxis can reduce side effects of exposure to antimicrobials such as infections with C. difficile or emergence of resistance, but may also reduce the incidence of s-SSIs. The objective of the eventual full scale study is to determine whether adding vancomycin to cefazolin can reduce SSIs as well as whether short-term prophylaxis is as effective as long-term prophylaxis. The rationale to conduct the proposed pilot study is to assess the feasibility to conduct this factorial cluster randomized cross-over trial, the adherence to the study protocol at each pilot site, the length of time to fill out the case report forms, and to get reliable estimates of event rates for sample size calculation for the main study
Research Team
Dominik Mertz, MD
Principal Investigator
Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation
Eligibility Criteria
Adults (18+) needing open-heart surgery can join this trial. It's not for those already on antibiotics, previous participants, known MRSA carriers, people allergic to beta-lactams that prevent cefazolin use, or anyone in another interfering study.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Treatment
Participants receive either cefazolin monotherapy or combination therapy with vancomycin, with short or long course regimens administered around the time of surgery
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment, including assessment of surgical site infections and other outcomes
Treatment Details
Interventions
- Cefazolin
- Vancomycin
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation
Lead Sponsor
The Physicians' Services Incorporated Foundation
Collaborator