Statins and Postoperative Infections: A Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: Observational studies, rather than randomized trials, revealed that statins might be associated with other benefits. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed at evaluating the preventive effects of lovastatin when used as a prophylactic agent for early and late infective complications after surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 149 patients undergoing elective intracranial and spinal surgeries, were enrolled in a double- blind randomized clinical trial in the department of neurosurgery of a teaching hospital. An amount of 20 mg lovastatin and the same dose of placebo, one day before the operation and three days after the surgery, were used for cases and controls, respectively. The patients were evaluated for local and systemic infections during hospitalization and 10, 30, 60 and 90 days after discharge. RESULTS: A total of 149 patients, 78 men and 71 women with a mean age of 40.3 ± 16.5, were assigned to prophylactic protocols. 46 and 103 patients were in the case and control groups, respectively. Eight episodes of infection were detected, including six bacterial meningitis and two episodes of hospital- acquired pneumonia. All of the patients with documented postoperative infections were part of the placebo group, however, there were no significant statistical differences between the groups (P = 0.059). CONCLUSIONS: In spite of the differences between the two groups, the results did not significantly support the preventive effect of statins in postoperative infections.